Warframe : Challenges
by Kalenath Shok-Tan
Summary: The most difficult of all conflicts is not one that comes from outside. It comes from within. This is a fanfiction. I own none of the rights to Warframe.
1. Chapter 1

**Prisons**

Smit had lost track of how long he had been in this tiny cell. They didn't bother to feed him, so he counted time by when the door opened and he was dragged out to be interrogated. He didn't like remembering that. He slept quite a bit, since there wasn't much else to do but wait.

It was his own damn fault. He knew that. Everyone knew the Grineer were dangerous. The clones defined dangerous. Their entire society was based on the strong taking from the weak and they considered humans to be nothing but vermin. He hated them with every fiber of his being. He had watched his family gunned down by the monsters, so when he had been offered the chance to fight back, he had jumped at it. In hindsight, it hadn't been wise at all. He hadn't wondered why the Arbiters of Hexis had been looking for soldiers. He hadn't asked why he had been given a Grineer weapon. He hadn't inquired about the plan or what would happen after. He had been too angry. And in perfect hindsight, too stupid.

He had killed five clones that he was sure of. He was proud of his marksmanship with the unwieldy Vulkar rifle he had been given. He had been aiming at a sixth when he had realized that all of the Arbiter troops had vanished. He had never been told what they were going to do and frankly? He hadn't cared. He had looked around and that was when he realized there were others. Other humans who were shooting at the Grineer from various places. At least five others had been using Grineer weapons with abandon. None of them had looked like they knew what they were doing. Smit at least had found a good high spot with a decent view to use his weapon from and he had braced it on some rocks to fire it. Most of the others had been lower down and when the Grineer landing craft had swept in, none had anywhere to run.

He hadn't known what to expect. He had been told he would kill Grineer and he had been happy with that. He hadn't known where they were going or why. Coming out of a portal onto a huge open plain had been a shock. Smit had grown up in an underground colony. He knew what the sun was, of course, but he had never seen it.

Now, he would never likely see it again.

He knew he had done fairly well. He had run away, but he hadn't been stupid about it. He had known that the Grineer would chase him and they could move far faster than him with their flying machines. So, he had run smart. He had hidden from the clones until night had fallen and they had inexplicably fled. Or so he had thought. He had been easing out of his latest hiding place when a shot had rung out and he had fallen. He had looked up to see a Grineer standing over him and reaching for him. He had woken in the cell. His leg hurt, but when he checked it, he didn't find any injury. Why would Grineer have healed him? That didn't make any sense. Grineer did not help humans. He checked the rest of himself that he could see and touch, but found nothing out of the ordinary. So… What?

He sighed as he lay back on the hard metal bunk again.

This didn't make any sense. He was supposed to be dead. All of the others were dead and the Arbiters had left them to die. He didn't know why and he didn't care. Now, he hated the Arbiters as much as he hated the Grineer. They had given him hope and then taken it away just as callously as any clone.

He closed his eyes and this time, he remembered his dream, But … his dream was strange. He was lying on something hard. He couldn't move, see or speak. He could hear however.

"This one is the only survivor, Doctor." A female voice sounded from nearby. "Fairly smart for a base, but as weak as the rest. We managed to field interrogate three of them and none of the others knew what the syndicate scum wanted. They were an obvious diversion."

"Too obvious." A snarl sounded from nearby, followed by whirrs. Pain flared in Smit's arm and he heard a scream. Was that his voice? "As pathetic as the others but potentially useful. The genetics are close to what we need."

"Close enough?" The other asked diffidently.

"I don't know." The male voice sounded unsure for a moment. "Then again, if we fail here, all we lose is another base. A small loss. The Queens say it is possible, so we must do it. We are Grineer. We obey."

"We obey the Queens." The other replied. "Orders?"

"Set for Level Three." The doctor or whoever commanded. "I will implant the brainstem and we can begin."

Something cold slammed into the back of Smit's head and he heard anther scream that sounded so much like his voice but not. Now he was flying or floating or something. The pain was growing as he writhed in whatever held him. Then a new female voice sounded. It wasn't out loud. It seemed to be only in his head.

 _Oh shit…_

She sounded scared! Something wrapped around him and Smit felt the pain that had enveloped him from his head ease a bit.

 _Smit, listen to me._ The woman said quickly. _Something really bad is about to happen. The Grineer have no idea what they are playing with. The Orokin learned not to do things like this._

 _Will it kill Grineer?_ Smit managed to say that and the other heaved a sigh.

 _If we are lucky, it won't kill everything in this solar system._ The other replied and Smit's rage flared and he snapped at her.

 _Let them die! They are animals!_ Smit snarled. _Nothing but animals._

 _Believe me, I understand._ The woman said as the warmth around Smit faded a little. _But what they are trying to access won't_ **just** _kill the Grineer. I know you are angry and I know why. But are you willing to kill every living thing in this solar system to kill some Grineer?_

 _Yes!_ Smit snarled. _Let it all die. Just like my family!_ Agony surged through his head and he heard himself scream again.

 _I am sorry, son._ The other said sadly. _I cannot do that. Rationally, I should end your suffering now. It would solve so many problems. But I cannot. You are a broken, hurting soul. You didn't have any decent choices given to you and they are… Oh no. Aw shit. Morons._

He was stunned when the pain cut off and he felt relief. He heard raised voices.

"What is happening?" The cold female voice sounded worried as things started pinching Smit and he felt more pain rise. It couldn't touch him though.

"This is unprecedented." The doctor said sharply. "This base is starting to project energy in an odd way? What? No! Not that pattern! Kill it! Kill it now!"

 _Too late, you fools._ _You got his attention._ The female voice was sad as Smit felt something flare inside him. A very loud angry roar sounded close at hand and something Smit could not define happened. _We play the hand we are dealt. Good luck, Smit._

Then he was flying.

Smit landed on his hands and knees on a yielding surface. He rolled awkwardly and managed to keep from breaking anything as the surface under him gave way to a harder surface. He came to a stop on his back and just lay there for a moment, panting. He basked in the absence of pain for a moment and then looked up. What he saw had his breath clenching. He saw the sun. He was lying on the bank of a small waterway. He felt strange but good. Nothing hurt, which was an improvement. He touched his face and froze solid as he realized his bodysuit glove was gone. His arm was covered in some kind of cloth that felt nothing like anything Smit had ever heard of before. It only went halfway down his arm. It didn't seem technological at all. He had one garment on his torso, he realized and other on his legs. At least the one on his legs ran all the way down to his feet. A pair of boots unlike anything he had ever seen finished the outfit. They looked like something out of a history text with actual zippers and all. He felt strange, so very strange. An odd hunger was surging inside him, but he ignored it as he had ignored hunger so many times in his life.

He took a long look around and _everything_ was odd. When he had been on the plains, even as overgrown as some of it had been, he had always been able to see signs of the Orokin civilization. Even the Old War, followed by the Collapse and the many years since then hadn't been able to erase the signs of the Orokin completely. Nothing likely could.

But _this_ place…

The waterway he could see was bubbling as it arced here and there across the landscape. It looked deep in places, but it was clear and clean looking. There were trees that he did not recognize all around him as well. He went still as a pair of small brown things hurtled across his view. He didn't get a good look at either of them. The area around him was filled with small sounds. Was this a forest? He had read a bit when he was younger and had time. He was bemused by this. Where was he? This was nothing like the Plains, nothing like any-

He hit the ground as gunfire sounded. Two shots, followed by two more. They weren't close, but they weren't that far away either. He crawled into a small pile of brush, acutely aware of his own vulnerability. He had no weapon, no armor. Nothing in case a patrol of Grineer…

Smit felt his guts clench yet again as dark forms moved into his view. Six of them. But they were not Grineer! He couldn't tell who they were, but they moved like humans. None had any prosthesis or any other visible Grineer tech. Certainly no bulky armor. What was more, none of them carried any weapons he could identify and he had seen more than his share of Grineer weaponry. They fanned out, obviously preparing for something. Was this an ambush? If so, on _who?_

Smit was rapidly becoming drunk on all of the shocks, but what happened next nearly made him start to laugh manically or wet himself. Someone was whistling! The tune was not familiar, but whoever it was he was _happy?_ What the hell was going on here? He heard crashing in the underbrush. _Something_ was moving towards the spot where the dark forms waited in ambush. Something large. Smit was not armed and from their intent postures, these strangers likely would not appreciate him foiling their ambush.

Then the crashing stopped and a cheerful voice called out in a language that Smit did not know. None of the men moved or spoke and the new voice spoke again, this time harsher. It sounded male, but not quite angry. Almost sad?

Without a word, the hidden men opened fire on the direction the voice had come from. Smit jerked as a huge white globe appeared in the near distance, the bullets sparking off it as if it were made of steel. Some of the ricochets bounced through the ambush site and more than one man cursed as the other voice laughed. It was a dark and terrible sound now and Smit's eyes went huge as a form out of nightmare appeared out of the white globe. A warframe! A _Tenno_!

Smit knew what was coming next and crouched low, covering his head with his arms as the golden hoops on the helmet turned from side to side, seeking enemies. Then two smallish axes appeared in the warframe's hands and it was in motion. Screams and awful noises heralded the Tenno doing what Tenno _did_.

Smit had never seen one before in person, but he had seen videos and heard all kinds of stories. Some of those were too fanciful to put much stock in. Beings made of energy who could sear men's souls with a mere look? Ships larger than an entire asteroid destroyed by four of them wearing wings that let them fly in space? Huge robots with impervious shields brought low. Madmen, technological horrors, biotech monstrosities, armies of clones...The list went on and on, most of the tales utterly implausible. But one thing was utterly clear. Only _fools_ fought Tenno on anything even remotely _close_ to equal footing.

Sudden silence had Smit curling up even tighter. He didn't dare move. If he drew the Tenno's attention, he would die. He knew that.

"Battle is over, boy." A calm voice that held a hint of amusement spoke up from nearby and while the language was odd, he understood it somehow. Smit didn't move. He didn't dare breathe. "You are not one of these fools. You don't look North American." Smit didn't move even when an oddly shaped foot came into his view. "I won't hurt you, boy." Smit shook his head and the voice sighed. "Almira, I better check the area. See if you can talk to him."

"Yes, Master Frost." A younger sounding female voice spoke up and the boot or whatever in Smit's vision vanished. The voice turned worried. "Boy? Are you hurt? Did those crazy bounty hunters hurt you?"

Bounty hunters? What? Who would dare hunt _Tenno?_ Smit felt a hand touch his head and then it was under his jaw. He looked up into dark browned eyes. The girl was about his own age. Or maybe? She looked oddly ageless. She had a long rifle sling across her back and it looked archaic.

"My name is Almira." The girl said with a nod as Smit stared at her. "We won't hurt you. We don't attack anyone who doesn't attack us first. But those morons have to keep trying. Their way of dealing with the world is doomed, but they cannot accept it. I guess I wouldn't either if the shoe were on the other foot. Did they hurt you?"

"No." Smit managed. "Just hid."

"Smart." Almira held out a hand and Smit took it. She looked small and slight, but she was a _lot_ stronger than she looked. Smit stared at her as she steadied him on his feet and then her eyes widened. "Oh dear. You were lying in poison ivy."

"What?" Smit asked as he absently scratched his arm. He stilled as she grabbed his hand and shook her head.

"You don't know what poison ivy is?" She asked as her other hand darted to her belt and came up with something. Smit shook his head and her eyes narrowed.

"No." Smit said weakly as she sprayed his arm with something that soothed the itching that he had barely recognized. He was shocked as her hand twisted and the sudden, unexpected pain sent him to his knees.

"Don't lie to me!" Almira snapped as her hand twisted again. Smit bit back a scream as the pain flared again. He tried to flail at her with his other hand and she grabbed it effortlessly. "Who are you?"

"My name is Smit!" The boy snarled, trying to get free. He might was well have been fighting a Grineer. She was a _lot_ stronger than she looked. "Let me go!"

"You were here with them!" Almira nodded to where several dark thing lay on the ground. None of them looked human anymore. Smit didn't look too close. He had seen enough death to know that none of those would be getting up. But then he saw another dark form ease out from near a tree. That human was unharmed and he was aiming something at Almira!

There was no way for Smit to break Almira's hold, so he threw himself backward as the dark man fired. Almira was surprised by Smit's move, but she was well trained. Smit screamed as both of his forearms protested severely when she twisted them almost hard enough to break them. Then she let go when the bark of the weapon behind her startled her. Smit could do nothing but sob as Almira dove to the side, her rifle coming off her back. The dark man snarled and corrected his aim, but a whirling thing came flying out of nowhere to hit the man who slumped back into the tree he had been hiding beside, suddenly and completely dead.

"Almira?" The warframe appeared out of nowhere walking to the newest corpse and wrenching the ax from it. The blade spun oddly for a moment, gore flying off it.

"This boy..." Almira stood, her rifle aimed at Smit as he cradled his wrists. "There is something very strange about him."

"You want to go back?" The Tenno in the warframe asked. Now that Smit had his faculties mostly working, he wondered about that. Tenno did not speak, did they?

"No!" Almira said quickly. "This is my first time out since apprenticeships started. I really wanted to do some fishing and Ember wanted some fresh meat for the kitchen. I will get the deer set up for transport, but Master Frost… This boy is more than he seems."

"Then I guess I better have a word with him." The warframe moved to stand in front of Smit as Almira darted off. Smit looked up at the Tenno as the non-human slowly shook his head. "My kin say you are not in any databases we have access to. Mind telling me how you got here?"

"I don't know." Smit fought hard to keep the pain from his voice. "I don't even know where 'here' is."

"So much for our vacation." The Tenno sounded calm, but one hand was playing with the handle of one of his axes. Then he snorted.

"Tell me, do you know how to fish?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Mirrors**

Smit was confused.

Scratch that, he was completely befuddled.

Almira and the Tenno, whose name was apparently Frost, were exquisitely polite, but they had flatly refused any possibility of Smit leaving. Not that he had anywhere to go or any way of getting there. Almira kept looking at him suspiciously, but Frost was surprisingly good company. Add tot hat, the scenery was beautiful. The back of the waterway they sat on was pristine and even the bugs seemed to give the Tenno a wide berth. Add the folding chairs that Frost and Almira had brought as it was downright comfortable even if Frost had surrendered his to Smit, saying he didn't need it. Apparently he didn't.

"...and then Irina demanded than the culprit identify themselves." Frost chuckled as he tended the long pole that he held. The very thin line that fell to the water was still immobile as it had been for the two hours Smit had been sitting here with the Tenno. The red and white floating thing hadn't budged in all that time. "I mean, you can understand why, no?"

"If someone did spread paper all over a room she considered hers, then yes." Smit wasn't sure why he was talking tot the Tenno. He had a pole of his own in hand and while it looked and felt odd to his hands, the motions of using it were oddly soothing. Watching the water, the line, the 'bobber' thing, he felt calm for the first time in a long, long time.

"Apparently, in some places was traditional to toilet paper an instructor's room. It is supposed to be funny." Frost chuckled again. "Irina was not amused."

"Did she find out who did it?" Smit asked and then jerked as the bobber moved. "What do I do?"

"Give it a yank to set the hook." Frost said with a nod. Smit did as instructed and then he nearly fell over as the pole jerked in his hand. "That's it. You got it. Bring it in."

Smit didn't have a clue what to do but it seemed fairly straightforward. Whatever he had caught was on the end of the line, so he lifted the pole and the line pulled the struggling animal out of the water. It was weird looking, scaly and spiny, but it was struggling to dislodge the hook that was lodged in its mouth. It had a long stripe along one flank that looked multicolored.

"That is it, hold it up." Frost commanded. "Almira?"

The girl darted forward to grab the fish. Her hands were deft as she held the struggling aquatic and extracted the hook. Then she opened a bag that Smit didn't recognize and dropped the fish into it. That bag didn't look big enough to hold many fish and Smit eyed it long enough that Frost chuckled. The Tenno liked to laugh, Smit had realized.

"One of the nasty burdens for old time fishermen was carrying their catch home." The Tenno explained. "We tried to figure out ways to make it a bit easier. That is actually a one way portal, one geared specifically to fish. Anything else won't go through."

"So you don't have to carry them." Smit smiled as he checked his line. It was fine, but the bait was gone. Frost nodded as he opened a small box and pulled out a worm. He deftly slid it onto Smit's hook.

"They wouldn't survive the trip back home if we tried to carry them anyway. We are repopulating our fish stocks the old fashioned way." Frost admitted. Smit stared at him and Frost chuckled again. "What? You thought we would eat them here?'

"I don't know what to think." Smit admitted. "I honestly don't know where I am or how I got here."

"Well, you either flew or took a portal." Frost sounded serious now. "You didn't walk here, because there are no tracks." Smit stared a him and the Tenno shrugged. "Of course I looked. Hey, it is not paranoia if they are all out to get us. While I have been talking to you, the rest of our kin are trying to figure out where you came from."

"This is Earth, isn't it?" Smit asked, staring around at the mostly untouched wilderness around them. "But so different… I..."

"Say no more." Frost warned him. "Nyx seems to think you may have traveled in time. In that case, you can cause all kinds of problems."

"What?" Smit asked, even more confused. He put his line back in the water just to have time to get his thoughts in a bit more order. "How can _I_ cause trouble for Tenno?"

"We don't know." Frost admitted. "And frankly? That scares us. There is enough craziness in the world as it is." He shook his head. "As to _where_ you are? This is the Federated State of Virginia, of the North American Coalition of Independent States, one of the few allies the Empire has at the moment." Smit stared at the Tenno, uncomprehending and Frost nodded. "Which means nothing to you."

"I have only been to Earth once." Smit admitted. "And it all went bad. But there is no sign of Orokin..." he gasped as Frost reached over and clasped a hand across his mouth. He stared at the Tenno as the gold hooped helmet shook.

"Say no more about where you were or what you remember until we are in a secure environment." Frost warned. He let go as quickly as he had grabbed Smit. "We know some of what is coming, but not when or how. What we _do_ know is that time has rules that get really irritated when they get bent or broken. Right, Almira?" He had a wicked grin in his voice.

Smit stared as Almira flushed in embarrassment and nodded. She muttered something and Frost chuckled yet again.

"You are very lucky the warden didn't fry you." Frost shook his head as Smit stared at him. "Almira tried to jump past a bunch of our training since it was too slow for her and stuck her head into places it really shouldn't have gone. There are safeguards in place for a _reason_. Luckily, he was amused rather than angry. I wouldn't care to try his patience though."

"A warden?" Smit asked. Almira flushed again and looked away.

"Yeah." Frost sighed deeply as he leaned back. "I am betting you never studied multi-dimensional theory?" Smit shook his head and Frost nodded. "Then I will keep it simple. The world we live in is real to us, but according to some incredibly complex math, there are other worlds out there, each as real to their inhabitants as our world is to us."

"Other worlds?" Smit asked. "Like ours?"

"I wouldn't know." Frost admitted. "Most of the people who can see such things are stark raving mad. Like I say, I have enough problems with our world. I don't need to start adding in other world problems. Good news is that there are wardens who police the boundaries between the worlds and keep things from crossing over. Good or bad, it makes no difference."

"I don't understand." Smit admitted as Almira jerked, her own pole bending as a fish leaped out of the water. She fought it, trying to pull the fish in.

"Good." Frost had a smile in his voice as he picked up the bag Almira had used, holding it ready as the girl pulled a huge fish out of the water. It was easily five times the size of the one Smit had caught. Frost nodded. 'Good catch, Almira. That one might wind up being dinner."

 _Everything_ came to a sudden stop as the fish _screamed_.

"Don't eat me!" The fish shouted in perfectly recognizable language. Frost dropped the bag and had the fish in hand before it could capitalize on Almira's shock and slip the hook. He held the fish gently, but firmly. "Please don't eat me!" The voice seemed familiar to Smit, but both Frost and Almira were staring form it to him and back. "Please don't eat me!"

"Um..." Frost regained control of his wits first. "Okay. You are talking."

"Duh." The fish snapped. "So are _you!_ " Then it was babbling. "Which isn't possible! There is no life in the Dry Beyond. None. This is _insane!_ " It was gasping for breath.

"Wait." Frost bent down and slowly eased the fish into the water. Somehow, he kept his grip, but the fish did not try to escape. Instead, it seemed to relax as its gills drank in water. "There? Better?" He asked the fish as if such were completely normal.

"Yes, thank you." The fish said weakly. "I am sorry for my rudeness, but this is terrifying. I have no idea where I am or how I got here."

"That sounds familiar." Almira was glaring at Smith who made a 'who me?' gesture. He eyed the fish. It didn't look the same as the one he had caught. It was larger for one thing, and the colors were very different. Red and yellow predominated.

"Do you have a name?" Frost asked politely. "I am Frost, this is Almira and Smit."

"A name?" The fish asked. "Ah, a designation of individuality." It made a noise of consternation. "Not really. I am part of my school, 'Glorious Red Mixed With Green'." Pride sounded in its voice and then confusion that matched Smit's. "I was going to...um… How did I get _here?_ "

"That is a _very_ good question." Frost admitted. "We don't have talking fish on this planet." He paused. " _Yet_ anyway." This was in a dark tone that had Smit cringing. The fish just looked at him. "Did we hurt you?"

"That sharp thing in the dangly meat hurt like hell." The fish complained. "But other than that? No."

"This place is not safe for a sentient fish." Frost said after a moment's thought. "There are people who _would_ eat you who live around here." The fish made a noise of fear mixed with disgust and Frost was quick to reassure it. "We are not going to eat you and we are not going to let anyone else eat you, but you are not from around here. We need to figure out how to get you back where you came from."

"That would be good." The fish admitted. "What is this place? I have never seen anything like it."

"Yeah." Frost looked at Smit who flushed. "You are the second to say that. This was supposed to be our vacation. I haven't been fishing in decades." He sighed. "Put the gear away, Almira. We cannot take the chance of hurting another innocent." Almira bit her lip, but then nodded and started disassembling her pole. Smit pulled his line out of the water without being asked. "Something very odd is going on here and I don't like this. I have some backup coming, including a Healer." Again, he spoke to the fish as if such were perfectly normal. "If I let you go, will you stay close? I cannot guarantee your safety if you leave this area."

"Where would I go?" The fish asked reasonably. "I don't want to die and getting eaten sounds painful. The water is deeper that way." It waved its head downstream. "I don't know what lives in that area but it scares me."

"My backup is bringing a tank that we can fill with water to keep you safe. He is a bit scary, but he is not a bad sort." Frost promised. Almira tensed and Frost shook his head. "Be polite, Almira. You know he saved your life."

Everyone jumped as something hit the far side of the stream with a thunderous crash. Smit found himself on the ground with Almira on top of him as Frost drew a rifle weapon he hadn't even seen. Some kind of small, stubby thing that looked very lethal for all its small size. Smit would have moved or spoken, but Almira squeezed him hard and he kept his mouth shut. He remained still by sheer force of will as the odd thing across the stream opened. The hexagonal part was hollow and Smit's eyes went wide as a human shaped form clambered out of it. She, yes, she, was clad in armor that he did not recognize. Was that a cape on her back? It was! The long rifle with bayonet that she carried looked functional, if very odd.

"Ah, hello?" Frost asked and the woman spun with an oath, her rifle coming up. She took one look and fired. The bullet hit Frost and stopped in haze of blue energy. "That was rude." Frost said mildly. "Do you _always_ run around shooting people you don't know?"

"Alien scumbag!" The woman bit out as she took closer aim at Frost.

"You are not going like what happens if you fire that again." Frost observed. The newcomer scoffed at him and fired, but something else had jerked it up and the bullet went flying into the atmosphere. The woman struggled as dark orange forms made of energy surrounded her, and held her firmly. "Hello Nekros. Good to see you."

A grunt preceded a form even more out of nightmare into Smit's view. This Tenno held a large glass tank instead of a weapon, but he had both rifle and pistol attached to his warframe. Said warframe was pitch black and skeletal thin. He set the tank down and looked around as he crossed his arms.

"Another fine mess, hey Frost?" The voice was young and cocky, but also held a hint of wariness as the armored human struggled with the holograms or whatever they were. Where his face would have been on a human lit on Almira and he groaned. "Oh, not _again!_ "

"Wasn't me!" Almira snapped.

"That is what you said last time." The black armored Tenno said flatly.

"Well, this time it wasn't her." Frost reassured both of them. All eyes went to Smit except for the struggling woman's and he flushed. Frost spoke again. "I don't think whatever happened was his choice, Nekros."

"Well, if he didn't, who did?" The fish spoke up timidly from the stream. Nekros looked at the fish and the fish darted back under the water.

"Good question." Nekros shook his head and strode to where Almira and Smit lay. Almira rolled off of Smit but before the boy could rise, the black warframe touched his forehead with a skeletal finger. A flash of white energy had Smit crying out in shock. No one seemed surprised, or even alarmed by it and the black warframe shook its head. "Kid is a mess, but he didn't do this to himself. You were right, Frost. He ain't from around here. So, three now? Ouch. The warden ain't gonna be happy." Almira made a noise of fear and Nekros shook his head. "Don't be silly girl. He don't hurt people because he _can_. He does it when they do dumb stuff. You learned your lesson?" She nodded frantically. "Then you got nothing to worry about. Surprised he ain't shown yet, with three."

"We don't know how busy they get." Frost allowed. "So, we wait?"

"Better to stay close to the known fluctuations." Nekros nodded. Whatever else was going to say was interrupted.

"Let! Me! Go!" The woman screamed as she fought the holds of the holograms. "I will see this filthy place burned to _ash!_ "

" _Filthy_?" Frost asked, incredulous. "Have you looked _around_ , Lady?"

"My name is not Lady!" The woman struggled harder. "My _rank_ is Admiral of the Fleet and you have made a serious mistake!"

"You are the one who popped in here and shot at me." Frost said with a shrug as Nekros looked at him. "Let me guess. You don't know where you are or how you got here?"

"I took a Hellpod to the surface!" The woman snapped. "How _else_ would I get here?"

She managed to free a hand and it came up with an oddly shaped pistol before said pistol was snatched out of her hand by an orange hologram. She screamed in frustration as the orange thing handed the weapon to Nekros who examined it. He handed it to Frost who did the same.

"Nice toy." Frost mused. Then he shook his head. "You are military. Name and rank, girl. _Now_."

This was not a request. Smit felt his own backbone straightening as the woman jerked, her anger banished by some need to respond to authority.

"Admiral Mist." The woman said sternly. "Fourth Drop Fleet. Who are _you_?"

"You may call me Frost." Still in that iron tone that simply exuded command. "You are not cleared for all of it."

"You are not in my chain of command." The woman declared, but her posture was shaken now.

" _You_ are not in your _reality_!" Frost snapped, anger suddenly rising. "Do your superiors give you the right to kill anyone you wish?"

"Yes." Mist snapped, just as angry. Everyone stared at her and she growled. "It is the duty of any citizen to defend Super Earth from all threats."

"' _Super Earth_ '?" Frost turned to Nekros who shrugged. He slowly took his hand off the foregrip of his weapon and put the palm to where his face would be if he were human. "Why do I get the feeling this is gonna be a _long_ day?"

"Because even for a Tenno, you are a weirdness magnet." Nekros snickered as Frost made a rude gesture in his direction. But then Nekros shook his head. "Thing is, if there are three, there will likely be more. And if they are being drawn _here_..."

"Then my vacation spot just went bye bye." Frost sighed deeply as two more warframes approached. "Hey, Trinity, Ember, welcome to the insanity. Is Nyx coming?"

"She is still up to her eyeballs in her personal project." Trinity said sourly as she bent down by Smit. "He seems fine, if a bit bruised. Who is hurt?"

"Ah… Hello?" The fish said from the stream and Trinity jerked upright in shock.

"I might have known." The newly come warframe strode to the stream bed and knelt down to examine the fish. Ember started to snicker. "Don't say it, Ember."

"What? 'Something is fishy around here'?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Through a looking glass- darkly**

Smit was rapidly losing his ability to concentrate.

The talking fish and then the wacko woman with the gun had been bad enough. But now over a dozen forms stood in the small area, some straight out of a nightmare even more so than Tenno. Speaking of Tenno, seven of them maintained a wary watch on the area even with an odd shimmering field encompassing most of it.

"How you doing, Smit?" Trinity asked as she knelt down beside him again. She was nice in an aloof kind of way. "Still with us?"

"I am very confused." Smit said weakly. He did not miss that there was another Tenno behind her with a weapon aimed at him. They did not trust him. Oddly, there was another with a weapon aimed at _Almira_ of all people. Almira ignored everyone as she knelt by the stream, talking to the fish in quiet tones.

"Yeah, you have a right to that." Trinity took his wrist in gentle fingers, doing something medical related. "I stay away from the alternate reality stuff. It gets really confusing." She gave a soft chuckle. He liked her and that was odd. He didn't like many people. He felt nice when she touched him. Not bad in any way, just nice.

"Yeah." Smit eyed the group that now included a small girl in an odd blue costume that included a cape and what looked for all the world like armor. She wore a mask and carried a mallet that looked like it weighed more than she did. She hefted it so easily that it was either incredibly light or she was incredibly strong. The only insignia on her costume was a star with one point elongated. Luckily, she didn't seem hostile, just confused like all the others. "This is really weird."

"True." Trinity sighed. "Good news is that we think we know why they are appearing." Smit perked up at that and she rubbed his hand. "They are being drawn to you." Smit tensed and she was quick to reassure him. "It is nothing you are doing consciously, but every time one appears, your vital energy is sapped. This is killing you."

"So when I die, it stops?" Smit asked, unsure of he was concerned by that prospect or not. He felt oddly detached.

"Maybe." Trinity stroked his hand again. Why did he feel an odd sensation there, almost like an oil? "Then again, maybe not. Nekros is the only one of us with any real experience in such things and he is bit bent as a result. He has said _he_ is baffled, so… No, We won't kill you. For all we know, that could make things worse."

"I don't want to make things bad." Smit was whining. What was going on? He never whined! Even in Grineer captivity, he had never whined!

"I know." Trinity stroked his hand again and his emotions faded again. "You are a good kid. We will figure this out and..." She paused. "Ah. Nyx."

Another warframe came into Smit's view. This one with an elaborate golden headdress that came to a point well behind the head. It was proportioned as a female and made no threatening motions, but Smit felt fear rise. He didn't know why. Trinity stroked his hand again and the fear faded with everything else. He was fuzzy.

"This is our conundrum?" The newcomer asked. "Not much to look at, is he?"

"You of all people know not to judge books by their covers, Nyx." Trinity said in mild reproof. "He says he doesn't know what is happening and I am inclined to believe him." Nyx eyed her compatriot and Trinity shrugged.

"Okay." Nyx knelt down and touched Smit's head. He felt warmth play across his mind and suddenly he was basking in it. "What is your name, boy?"

"Smit." The semiconscious boy managed to say that.

"Don't resist, boy." Trinity stroked his hand again. Not that he could have resisted. Whatever was happening was far too pervasive for him to even sense completely, let alone fight.

"One worry taken care of. He didn't travel in time. This isn't his world." Nyx said after a few moments. "What he knows of his own is fragmentary. He is not a scholar or historian. He has no family or affiliations. He is also not very bright, even for a human." Smit felt ire flare, but then it was gone, banished by the sensations of ease and warmth. "If he is doing this cross dimensional shifting, it is not consciously." Smit jerked as another form appeared nearby and Nyx nodded. "Ah, I see. It is not conscious. I can reverse this."

"I can go home?" The fish exclaimed from where it had been watching from the stream.

"Yes." Nyx laid both hands on Smit's temples and energy started playing between them. It hurt and Smit bit back a groan. Trinity stroked his hand again and the pain eased. Nyx glared at her. "Not to much of that or I won't be able to hold him."

"And if he starts struggling?" Trinity asked, her own tone turning clinical. "What then?"

"I have stopped the flow." Nyx said absently as she focused on Smit. The pain grew again and this time, nothing curbed it. He groaned as Nyx's energy came faster and harder. "I will reverse it, sending the oldest travelers back first."

"Will I remember this?" The fish asked carefully. "I mean, Granddaddy Nemo and Great Aunt Dora will never believe this."

"Probably best if you don't." Nyx sounded almost concerned for a moment. Said emotion faded. "If you remember anything, it will be like a dream, easily forgotten."

"Oh. Oh well, back to the Crush." The fish mock griped, but then laughed as Almira tickled him. He wavered and vanished, a faint 'Duuuude!' sounding as it went.

"I have seen a lot of odd things." Trinity said with a laugh. "But that was pretty odd even for us."

"Very true." Frost moved into Smit's view and he was shaking his head. "Nyx? How is he?"

"I can trigger the reversals without harming him further." Nyx replied. Now the various forms were vanishing. "This bears study, Frost."

"No!" Almira was on her feet but two warframes grabbed hold and held her as she struggled. "Leave him _alone!_ "

"Almira. Calm down." Frost's tone was calm, but held command and Almira tensed and then relaxed. "We won't hurt him. If we harm him, we will lose a priceless opportunity to delve into the mysteries of other realities."

"And his _life_ is meaningless." Almira snapped, struggling fruitlessly in the grips that held her.

"He is human, Almira." Frost sighed. "I think you need more time with Nyx."

At that, Almira went still. Nyx shook her head from where she knelt, still touching Smit's head.

"I have done all I can." Nyx actually sounded _sad_. "I don't think there is anything else I can do. I am sorry, Frost. I tried."

"Yeah." Almira stopped struggling, but the two warframes that held her did not let go of her. "You did what your master demanded, tried to burn any trace of humanity out of me. Pity Tenno _came_ from humans. It makes us all weak to remember what we were before."

"You are confused, girl." Trinity said mildly. "We can help you."

All of the Tenno in the clearing were eyeing Almira as the last of the newcomers vanished. The girl in the blue costume was shaking her head as she disappeared. Nyx released Smit and he groaned as pain flared behind his eyes. He lay back and tried hard not to cry as Nyx rose to confront Almira.

"Help?" Almira demanded. "Like you help _everyone_? You spout the lines, do you even _understand_ them anymore?"

Smit could not even flinch as all of the Tenno in the clearing braced Almira. He was fading as the girl managed to shake off the hands that held her somehow.

"You stole my past from me." Almira snapped. "You took me from my family and made me one of you. I am not one of you."

"Yes, you are, girl." Nyx held up a hand that was suddenly wreathed with purplish blue energy. Nothing seemed to happen, but Almira gave as a small cry and fell to her knees, hands clutching her head. "You will resist, the best always do. But you are not human. You haven't been since we found you. You are just confused. I know seeing all this weird stuff confused you, but there is no need for conflict. We will help you, girl."

"Like you helped _Grandma?_ " Almira all but screamed that. But Nyx seemed sad instead of angry.

"Yes." The gold crested warframe held out an empty hand. "Your grandmother resisted, it was what she did. All she knew how to do. We didn't want to hurt her, Almira. We still don't. You know this. She is kin."

"And what is that word worth?" Almira demanded as she lurched to her feet and sought an escape. There wasn't one. The ring of Tenno around her was closing on her slowly. She shook her head and knelt, but no one relaxed.

"We won't hurt you, Almira." Nyx promised and then made a clucking noise as the girl drew a knife from somewhere. When Nyx spoke again, it was chiding. "Almira, you know we won't let you die."

"Yeah. You are not that nice." Almira snapped as she brought the blade down on the palm of her other her hand and blood immediately started falling. She dropped the knife and clutched her hands together, the blood starting to glow oddly. "Blood to blood, soul to soul..."

"Stop her!" Nyx commanded and several Tenno jumped at Almira. Too late.

Almira smirked at Nyx as black energy enveloped her and she continued to chant. "...what was true will not be fouled. Your actions have consequences." She bowed her head and vanished in a haze of black smoky energy even as two Tenno hurtled through where she had been.

"He took her." Trinity sounded hushed, scared almost. " _They_ took her."

"They had to have line of sight to teleport her without her in a warframe." Nyx declared. "Track them! Bring her back. Alive if you can, but _bring her back!_ "

Most of the Tenno in the area bolted in multiple directions. In moments, only Frost, Nekros, Nyx and Trinity stood near Smit whose head was swimming harder. Trinity went to her knees beside Smit without a word, the other three looking at each other.

"He won't be happy." Frost said with a wince. "Losing her was never part of the plan. They will have disabled the trackers by now."

"They ain't stupid, Frost. They had to know she was bait." Nekros said with a sigh. "Would have been much easier if they was clueless. They ain't." He turned to scrutinize Smit. "This one might serve if we can keep him from pulling the wardens' attention."

"His rhythms are faltering. He is already in withdrawal." Trinity sounded worried as she touched Smit's head. "I gave him too much and you did too much, Nyx."

"I stopped the breaches in reality." Nyx replied. "Send him to the lab, I will take it from there."

"Carefully." Nekros warned. "If you push too hard or too fast, he may start breaching again and for sure that will draw attention. You do not want the wardens mad at you. Lucky I managed to talk fast enough to say Almira was clueless instead of trying to escape. If she had managed to convince him to interfere, all hell would have broken loose. As it is, it had taken this long for the Oracles to feel safe looking again."

"Keep your tools in line." Nyx warned as she touched Smit and he felt himself start to fall. "Don't make me go through their minds again. I hate wading through that muck."

"Don't we all?" Frost asked as Smit felt hands pulling him. It was too much trouble to keep his eyes open, so didn't bother to try. Now, he was lying on something hard as odd mechanical sounds came form all around him. Then he was floating and there was silence around him. Word came, but they were not aloud.

 _He is a minor telepath. He can hear us._ Nyx's tone was odd, clinical but resigned. _Begin Phase Two, Tech Rasputin._

 _Yes, mistress._ The reply was odd. Sort of mechanical, sort of not. _Do you wish implants put in?_

 _We are going to need to put him in with the other aspirants._ Nyx mused. _So, yes. I am also going to do some tinkering. He is slower than he needs to be. Some minor alterations of brain chemistry should yield the desired results without too much energy trauma._

What was she talking about? Smit was floating and he gasped as his eyes opened without a command from him to do so. He stared up at a machine that was lowering towards his head. A glowing transparent hand entered his vision and did something to the machine. He looked and it was connected to a figure that was transparent, made of golden energy. He tried to speak, but something was in his mouth. He felt air being pushed into his lungs as Nyx appeared nearby, an oddly archaic looking hypodermic needle in her hands. The contents of the needle were glowing!

"Just breath normally." Nyx was almost kind now. Almost. "This is going to hurt, but we will not be overly cruel. We lost Almira, so we need someone else to take her place."

She took hold of his arm. An arm that Smit noticed had a tube connected to the elbow. He couldn't even scream as she inserted the needle into the tube and fire started to burn across Smit's arm. He groaned and then his eyes caught on the machine as it clicked into place over him. Lines of golden energy arced down to join above his eyes and pain flared on his brow. It merged with the pain in his arm and he could only take the mingled agony for a moment before passing out.

* * *

Some time later

Smit woke on a bed, unsure of where he was or what had happened. He stared down at himself and realized her wore a bodysuit like the one he had worn most of… Most of… He paused. Why had he thought it was familiar? This wasn't the type of clothing he had been wearing… before. Why did that seem odd too? His incipient curiosity faded and he looked around the room. It was small, barely big enough for the bed he was lying in.

A chime sounded and Smit was on his feet and out a door before he even realized it was there. He darted into place in a group of people, all of whom had glazed looks on their faces. They looked like he felt. The room was barren, spartan in the extreme and he could do nothing as his body assumed a stance he did not know.

"Good morning recruits. Welcome to another day of apprenticeship training." A harsh female voice sounded from nearby and an Ember warframe appeared in front of Smit. "You have all been honored with the opportunity to become far more than human. To become one of the Masters." She lashed out and Smit felt fear rise as a female voice beside him cried out something went 'snap'. "Oh, shut up! I haven't _begun_ to hurt you yet! You _will_ obey! You _will_ pass these inspections or my name is not _Instructor Jasmina!_ " She stopped in front of Smit and he braced himself for a blow, but she simply looked him over. Then she shook her head. "All of you but Apprentice Smit, report to training area 2. Smit, with me."

She turned and started off. Smit followed, unsure of what to do or how. He kept his mouth shut as he followed her into a corridor. She strode as if she hadn't care in the world and he followed, eyes on her. They came to a door marked 'Medical' and it hissed open to screams mixed with sobs and whimpers of pain and fear. He didn't dare look around as the Tenno led him to another room. She waved towards a low couch like thing.

"Up you get, boy." The Tenno said sourly. "I need to get back before the idiots get any ideas."

Smit did not argue. He sat on the couch and swept his legs up onto it when she indicated he do so. He was not actually surprised when things shot out from all sides, pinioning him in place. He did not bother to resist. The couch was comfortable, but Smit was terrified, being held in place like this. He was helpless for whatever…

"I won't hurt you." A tired voice sounded from nearby and Smit turned his head to see a woman with incredibly dark skin appeared at the door. She wore a stained gown of some kind Smit started as he saw some kind of odd golden headdress on her head. It seemed to be part of her and it was glowing. So were her eyes! She smiled at Smit and nodded. "You can talk. You are Smit?"

"Yes." Smit clamped his lips shut, sure he had transgressed. But the newcomer just smiled wanly.

"After everything else they have done, I am not surprised you are scared." The woman moved to stand beside Smit and then shook her head. "You are smarter than Nyx thinks. No one has said, but Almira went out and you came back. Did they kill her?"

The sheer pain in the woman's voice touched something deep inside Smit. Something he hadn't felt for a long, long time. It felt raw but it also felt good, as odd as that was. He shook his head and her face lit up.

"She got _away_?" The other breathed. Smit nodded. "Oh, thank the Lotus! Even if they kill her now, she will die _free_."

"Who are you?" Smit asked as the woman sat on something he couldn't see, her hands reaching out to take his wrist gently.

"For my sins, I am the one who has been delegated to condition you." The woman said heavily. 'I am to make you obedient while at the same time, making you smarter. Not a chance in hell of that happening and Nyx knows it. She just wants to hurt me again. Oh..." She paused and made a sour face. "I _didn't_ introduce myself, did I?"

"My name is Mag."


	4. Chapter 4

**Allies of a sort**

Smit should have been terrified when he woke up, but he heard Mag humming softly and had to smile. She was so nice, so gentle. She had insisted he sleep through what she had to do for fear of his pain causing long term effects. He hadn't wanted to sleep, not trussed up as he had been, but she had started to sing something softly that he didn't recognize. It had soothed him and he had fallen asleep.

"Back with us?" Mag asked in her gentle way. His body moved when he tried it and he smiled as he opened his eyes but his smile faded as he saw a warframe behind Mag. Nyx was standing as if impatient. Mag looked over her shoulder and slowly shook her head. "Scaring the hell out of apprentices may _be_ a time honored tradition, _sister_..." She bit out the word 'sister' as if in great pain. "...but _you_ of all people _know_ it is counterproductive."

"And you didn't have anything to do with Almira doing what she did." Nyx said flatly.

"Feel free to tear into _my_ mind again." Mag said with a growl. "You won't like what you find, you evil bitch."

"You gave us no-" Nyx started and broke off as Mag hit her. Nyx just looked at the unarmored Tenno as Mag slammed her fist into the warframe's faceplate again and again to absolutely no effect. Nyx sighed as Mag hit her repeatedly. The only effect was the unarmored Tenno's knuckles starting to bleed. "And what does this prove?"

"It proves I still remember who I am." Mag snapped as she finally retreated. "I am not your slave."

"Sister..." Nyx sighed again. "No one is enslaving anyone. If anything, we are freeing people from bondage."

"Lie to yourself all you want." Mag snapped. "Don't lie to me and except me to remain silent. I know what you are. I know what you do. I know what you _are_ doing." Her face twisted into a grimace of disgust. "Don't try to cloak your evil in righteousness. Don't even try. There are limits. You passed them."

"No one is complaining, Sister." Nyx said mildly.

"Yeah, you don't leave them enough free will to know right from wrong." Mag snarled. "Get out!" She moved to stand by Smit who was staring from her to Nyx and back.

"We have another load coming in." Nyx did not move. "And the boy is required."

"No." Mag snarled. "I have _had_ it with helping you. Get your brain dead techs to do it. I won't do it anymore. I won't. You will take the boy, warp him, break him and then discard him as you do all of your toys. It is what you do and I can't stop you but I won't help you anymore."

"Mag, don't do this." Was that pain in Nyx's voice? "You are better with them than any of us. You can ease them into it."

"Into the _horror_." Mag snarled, a sound more akin to a feral kubrow than a sentient being. "Get! Out!" She spun and Nyx recoiled. Smit couldn't see what Mag was holding, but Nyx held up empty hands in a warding gesture.

"Mag..." Nyx tried again. "Don't. The Master has demanded the boy's presence. Frost is taking him as an apprentice. He liked what he saw." Mag growled dangerously.

"I am sure he did." Mag backed up until she was right beside Smit who lay frozen by this confrontation. "Is he _finally_ tired of his latest _toy_ then?" The unarmored Tenno bit that out and Nyx shook her head. "Oh, I see. He wants to do more than one at once. And you call _me_ sick."

"You _are_ sick, Mag." Nyx was crying softly now. "I want to help and you won't let me. You won't let any of us."

"Your help kills people!" Mag snapped and threw whatever was in her hand at Nyx who retreated to the door. The small metal object his the ground with a clang and Nyx picked it up. It wasn't a weapon. It looked like some kind of sculpture. "I don't need your help or _any_ Tenno's help. You are all evil and I won't aid you in your evil."

"Mag..." Nyx begged. "You _are_ Tenno."

"Am I?" Mag growled as she turned back to Smit. "Could have fooled me. I have a working brain and I use it. Get out." She repeated. "I still have to filter what that stupid witch Trinity put into his blood stream. That sedative can kill and you know it."

"Mag, the Master has commanded I bring the boy to see him." Nyx was calm again. "Now."

"Fine." Mag rose and spun away from Smit's bed. "Take him. When he _perishes_ halfway through your oh so benevolent master's _gentle_ interrogation, don't come crying to _me_."

"Mag." Nyx said slowly. "He knows how hurt Smit is. He has asked you attend the boy."

"He lets me anywhere _near_ him and I will kill him." Mag said flatly. "You..." She jerked upright as energy flared from the thing on her head, every muscles going stiff and her eyes rolled up into her head. Smit sat up in alarm as Mag stiffened.

"Don't touch her." Nyx warned when Smit would have reached for the kind woman. "She is being chastised again. She won't be permanently harmed."

Smit looked at Nyx and then slowly and deliberately, he took Mag in his arms. He could hear her screaming in his mind and then she gasped as pain slammed into him too.

 _No!_ Mag screamed in her head as Smit convulsed. _Don't!_

 _I had forgotten what kindness was._ Smit admitted as the pain soared through him. But he held it away from both himself and Mag for a moment. _I have been confused and slow for so long it felt normal. It wasn't._

 _Boy! Let go!_ Mag begged. _He will-_

Whatever else she said was lost in a torrent of rage and pain that swept Smit in and grabbed him tight. He could feel scrutiny on him. Whatever it was, it wasn't anything he could fathom. It was alien, overpowering. He ignored it, focusing on trying to help Mag, who was trying to push him away even as he felt every muscle lock up. Then a cold, hard voice sounded.

 _Well, well, well…_ The male voice sounded amused. _It seems our errant sister has a new interest. Fascinating._

 _Leave him alone!_ Mag snapped in her mind. _He has nothing to do with this!_

 _You will bring him to the Master._ The voice declared. _You will tend him. You will not attack the master or the boy will suffer. Am I understood?_

 _Go! FUCK! Yourself!_ Mag screamed again as agony tore through her and Smit.

 _You will bring him._ The other replied, calm and cold as ice. _You will obey._

 _ **I DO NOT SERVE YOU!**_ Mag screamed both in her mind and aloud _._ "I serve the Lotus!"

A cold laugh was the only response as the power released her and Smit. Smit collapsed to the floor as Mag fell to her knees. Warm armored hands eased Smit on the floor and Mag sobbed.

"Ah, sister..." Nyx said sadly. "The Lotus is not real. Your delusions are only causing you pain. This is hurting us all, sister. Please. Stop."

"Fuck! You! Get away from him!" Mag managed to groan as the hands that were holding Smit were batted away. "You can do whatever you want to me, hurt me, kill me, whatever, but even you cannot make me believe your lies. I know the truth!" Unarmored fingers were checking Smit's body now. He couldn't move. "Stupid kid. Stupid lying freaks, you had to hurt him! You just _had_ to!"

The arms picked Smit up and he felt softness underneath him. Then cool numbness swept through him and he relaxed as his muscles unclenched.

"Why?" Mag begged Smit. "I can take the pain. You can't. You are not trained, not changed. You cannot take such power without harm." The soothing was all over his body and he smiled a little as the pain faded completely.

"Because it worked." Smit said softly as he looked at Mag who was crying. "You made me smarter."

"You were already smart." Mag slumped a bit. "You just needed a bit of focus. Your brain chemistry was a bit off. But that? That _wasn't_ smart. He could have killed you without trying."

"Correct me if I am wrong." Smit said slowly. "Your master, whoever he is, has demanded my presence." Mag stared at him as Smit smiled a little wanly. "So, if he killed me, who would be punished?"

"You would be _dead!_ " Mag protested.

"And then Nyx would bring me back." Smit eyed the armored form by the wall. "I know that is possible. Tenno do not die."

"Yes, we can." Mag said sourly. "And you are not Tenno. They gave you a dose of the preliminary virus. It is altering your body but very slowly. It will take years to alter you at the rate it is going. Long enough to brainwash you properly. You don't know what you are doing. I cannot let you suffer for me, Smit. I cannot."

"I cannot fight Tenno." Smit allowed. "But this is wrong."

"Hold tight to that thought." Mag helped him sit up. "They will try to make you think otherwise. To make you as evil as they they are."

"Mag." Nyx shook her head. "We are not evil. You are confused."

"I know what you are doing in your secure labs." Mag sounded resigned now as she helped Smit stand. "Don't talk to me about good and evil, you lying bitch. She is trying to manipulate you, trying to confuse you." She warned Smit.

"Too late." Smit cracked a smile. "I am already far more confused than anyone could match." He had to snicker at Mag's expression. "It is laugh or scream, Mag and I find I prefer to laugh."

Mag stared at him and then a slow, tremulous smile crept across her face. She took his hand and sighed.

"Even if these fools have forgotten what honor is, _I_ haven't." Mag moved so she was standing by Smit, still holding his hand. "You are weak from the drug Trinity gave you, from what happened outside and from what you just did. You would have died for me." Smit nodded. "Don't. Please." She begged.

"The master is waiting." Nyx moved to the door and it opened. Outside, a pair of golden warframes stood with weapons in hand.

Mag looked at Smit who shrugged. They started off, following Nyx who did not look back. The two golden warframes took up station behind them, weapons at the ready. Smit stumbled, but Mag's firm arm held him as he recovered. Nyx did not slow. The gray corridors all looked the name to Smit whose vision was faltering as well. Mag's grip was the only thing keeping him standing as they approached a door with two more golden warframes standing guard.

"Three to see the Emperor." Nyx declared as they approached the door. "We are expected."

One of the warframes, a female proportioned one with an odd tail that arced around it, nodded to Nyx and palmed the door open. Smit was weaving as they passed the door. He hadn't had any idea what to expect. A throne room with huge ceilings and wide open spaces? A torture chamber? Some kind of high tech temple? He was surprised to find the room small and comfortably appointed. It had a desk with a large chair behind it and several sofas scattered about. A pair of large windows let the sun in and pictures hung on the walls, some beautiful, others childlike.

"Take a seat." The dark haired man in armor said as he perused a screen. "I will be with you in a moment." Nyx did as instructed, Mag stood and held Smit in place. The man looked at her and sighed. "Mag."

The standing Tenno did not speak, did not move. Indeed, she might have been a statue. Smit stared at her and then around again. Were the walls wavering? They were! Where were they?

"This is a virtual environment." Mag said when he shot a questioning look at her. "It isn't as if the Fearless Leader of the Tenno is _actually_ fearless. He knows better than to come into my presence physically again unless I am drugged _and_ restrained."

"You enjoyed it." The man closed down his terminal and sat back eyeing Mag.

"You keep telling yourself that." Mag snapped. "Trinity's drugs are the only reason you have _any_ children." Her growl turned dangerous.

"This doesn't have to be hard, Mag." The man said quietly. "You think I enjoy having Trinity do what she does?"

"Yes!" Mag snarled. "You want puppets? You get them. You want mindless bed warmers? You get them. You can have Little Miss Mind Control here hold me while Trinity drugs me again, but you will _never_ get my willing compliance. Never."

"We need more Tenno, Mag." The other put a hand to his face, sighing. "You know this."

"What I _know_ is that you forced me to have kids and then took them away. You got most of them killed.." Mag snapped. "And you _enjoyed_ what you did to me."

"There _was_ a certain amount of satisfaction from both of us. We can argue consent until the stars go cold but I know your mind. I know _you_ enjoyed it when you let yourself go." The other shook his head. "Okay, we have another problem." He looked at Smit who flinched back. "I won't hurt you, boy."

"Liar." Mag snapped.

"Mag, be silent." The other said quietly and Mag gasped, her hands going to her throat as she opened her mouth and no sound came out. Her face contorted in a rictus of rage, but she stayed where she was. The man's next words shocked Smit. "Nyx, you had no right to inject him with the virus."

Nyx jumped to her feet, her posture instantly wary. "Master… I..."

She broke off as the man rose from his seat. Mag stared at him and then at Nyx, her face working as she tried to speak and couldn't. A gesture and a guard that Smit hadn't seen pulled Mag back from Smit who stood frozen as the armored man approached him. The armor was odd, like and not like any warframe Smit had ever seen or heard of.

"Right or wrong, Mag's anger with me is honest." The man slowly knelt down until his face was level with Smit's. "How old are you, boy?"

"He is fifteen." Nyx said and then she screamed as energy flared around her.

"I am not talking to you, Nyx." The man said slowly, never taking his eyes form Smit. "I am talking to the boy. Your name is Smit, they tell me. Mine is Hayden." He reached out to take Smit's hand in an oddly gentle grip. "Nyx injecting you was never part of the plan. She thought that hiding you among the apprentices would work. It won't. All it would do is get you killed. The strong take from the weak, that is the way the universe works, but you are not part of _our_ universe. Which she knew. I have forced the virus into dormancy. You are free from her." Nyx jerked in her bonds and Hayden shook his head. "You think I don't know about your plots, Nyx?" He asked when Nyx fought the energy back momentarily and then it snapped closer, binding her tight. "You think I don't know who gave Almira the knife?'

Nyx jerked in place and then she vanished, a wailing scream fading with her. Hayden shook his head slowly and then rose, holding Smit's hand and guiding him to a sofa.

"Sit." Hayden sat and patted the seat beside him. "You are barely awake as it is. Don't pass out, it can cause all kinds of problems here."

Smit did as instructed. He had no way of fighting any of the godlike beings. Mag's face was stricken as she stared at Hayden who bowed his head.

"Mag, you know I am stuck between a rock and a hard place." Hayden said quietly. "I never wanted to hurt you. You know I cannot let your rebellion continue. You may speak."

"Don't hurt him!" Mag begged.

"Do you really think so little of me, Mag?" Hayden asked, his own face falling. "I have had to do evil, to keep the Tenno going. Much of what I have done will haunt me for the rest of my days. But you _know_ me, Mag. How many children have I personally killed when I had any choice at _all?_ " Mag looked away, not responding. "Mag, what is between you and me is awful, no question. But I didn't kill any of our kids."

"You sent them off to die fighting your wars." Mag snarled. "Same difference. Just take control! You know you want to do it!" Smit winced at the ferocity in the female Tenno's words. He started shivering and couldn't stop.

"Mag, I don't." Hayden shook his head and pulled a blanket out of somewhere to wrap around Smit who smiled gratefully. But then Hayden's tone turned iron. "You will take another turn in Trinity's Reproduction Center. I cannot change that law."

"And you are male, so you don't _want_ to!" Mag was shaking in place, her rage barely diluted at all.

"You think _females_ are the only ones violated there, Mag?" Hayden asked, still quiet. "You think Nicholas and Karl enjoy what was done to them?"

" _LEAVE MY KIDS OUT OF THIS!_ " Mag screamed as she threw herself at Hayden, only to be caught in midair by shimmering energy.

"You are a nurturing soul, Mag." Hayden's face was sad as Mag was slowly lowered to the ground. "The Tenno need you now more than ever with so many plots and plans circulating. Almira will be found and brought back. You will have your granddaughter again."

"Once they are done with her, she won't _be_ my granddaughter!" Mag hissed as she fought the bonds that held her.

"You think the ones who Nyx tricked her into running to will do any better?" Hayden asked and then paused as Smit felt the room start to spin. Smit felt a strong arm surround him and hold him up. "Oh dear."

"No! Don't!" Mag begged. "Let me help him!"

"You cannot protect him from Trinity, Nyx and Frost, Mag." Hayden's voice was coming from far away now.

"I _can_."


	5. Chapter 5

**Unwanted**

Voices roused him partway. Giggling?

"Now, now, none of that girls." Hayden's voice was mild, but multiple gasps came from around Smit as he tried to sit up. A hand made of iron held him down effortlessly. "No, not yet, boy. You are still too weak. Elizabeth. This one needs sanctuary. See to it."

"Yes, Emperor. Girls, set up room twenty six." A quiet, but firm voice sounded from nearby and a hand touched Smit's brow as feet pounded away. "He is burning up. Is he sick?"

"Not at the moment." Hayden heaved a sigh. "Trinity drugged him and Nyx infected him, so he _will_ be sick in the near future. Take care of him, please?"

"You have but to ask, Emperor." The other demurred.

"Don't _start_ , Elizabeth." Hayden said sourly. Smit was amazed when the other chuckled. Why was she not afraid of this being? _Smit_ certainly was. "You know how I feel about this whole mess."

"It is not like you had a choice when my ancestress was assassinated." Elizabeth sounded sad now. "You did what you could and humanity _does_ survive."

"Doesn't help me sleep at night." Hayden replied. "I have to get back before the fools do any more damage. One thing, _no one_ is to touch him. He will get urges after what Trinity gave him. Restrain him if you must but be as gentle as you can. No Tenno will enter here but he is human, so warn your kids."

" _Who_ are you talking to, Emperor Hayden?" Elizabeth had a really good snarky voice. Hayden laughed.

"Right, that was a brain fart." A hand touched Smit's forehead gently. "You are safe here, Smit. Rest well. I don't know what will happen next, but you need to recover before anything else."

The hand vanished and another took its place. This one was slim and gentle as it peeled his bodysuit back from his face. The woman sighed deeply.

"And to think that once, Tenno were hailed as benevolent gods in human form. But the idiots had to have what they wanted. They got it." The woman named Elizabeth said softly as a hand stroked Smit's cheek gently. It was a comforting touch. "You are safe boy. Rest now."

Smit felt fatigue rise but he fought it back. He was helpless here and…

Eliza was singing. It was the same song that Mag had sung! Smit was asleep before he could ask the name of the tune.

* * *

Some time later

"Get out." Elizabeth's cold words roused Smit partway, but a gentle touch soothed his incipient fear. "You know what he will do if he find you here."

"You are my wife, they are my kids." A tired male voice replied. "I did what I could."

"You threw us away." Elizabeth snarled. "You gave us to the Tenno! You have no right to be here."

"It was the only way to save your lives." The other replied. "You know what the Reproduction Bureau would have done with quintuplets."

"Get out!" Elizabeth commanded. "You have no place in our lives anymore, Michael. You threw that way for your own comfort. Don't tell me that the Tenno didn't pay you for giving me and the girls to them to 'play' with. I know better."

"Eliza..." The other tried again, but Elizabeth cut him off.

"Don't you _dare_ call me that!" The woman snapped. "You lost that right when you threw me and the girls away."

"It was the only way to save your lives!" Micheal pleaded. "Eliza! No! I just wanted to talk to you!"

"Security." Elizabeth said in a cold voice. "We have an intruder."

" _Eliza!_ " Micheal screamed and the scream faded swiftly into nothing.

Smit opened his eyes to see a small room around him. It was barely big enough for the bed he lay in. A dark haired woman sitting beside his bed, her face in her hands. She was crying softly. Smit reached out slowly to touch her right arm and she jerked, her face flaming as she stared at him. He didn't speak, he just laid his hand on her arm. She stared at his hand and then covered it with left one.

"My parents died." Smit said softly. Elizabeth stiffened, but Smit wasn't done. "I watched them die, gunned down by clones. I cannot judge what you went through. This place is utterly unlike what I knew. That had to be hard."

"They won't kill him." Elizabeth said in a monotone. "He is a productive member of society, of which there are far too few in my own estimation. They _will_ punish him. I loved him with all my heart. Lotus help me, I _still_ do."

"I heard him mention quintuplets?" Smit asked as he tried to sit up and couldn't. He wasn't restrained, just very weak.

"Yeah." Elizabeth's face softened a little. "Five girls." Smit stared a her and she made a face. "And yeah, they are a handful and a half." She shook her head as Smit tried to sit up again. "No, don't try to get up just yet. You had a bad night."

"Where am I?" Smit asked, looking around. The room was dim, but not dark. Comfortable, not oppressive.

"This a halfway house and orphanage that the Emperor set up a long, long time ago." Elizabeth replied with a small frown. "I didn't know about it until I was tossed onto his doorstep. He is not always a nice being, but he has been kind to me and mine. I don't know whether to be happy or afraid about that."

"I think I heard you talking to him." Smit wracked his brain, trying to make sense of what he remembered. "You know him well?" Elizabeth looked at him and he flushed. "I didn't mean it that way. I mean..." He broke off as her glare hardened. "And now, I curse Mag for making me smart enough to stick my foot in my mouth."

Elizabeth stared at him and then her mouth twitched. He smiled at her and she shook her head.

"I can already tell you are going to be trouble, mister." Elizabeth said with a snort. "If you get Mag's sense of humor added to anything else, all hell will break loose when you are strong enough o run around."

"She seems sad." Smit wanted to pull the words back as soon as he spoke them, but Elizabeth just nodded.

"She is, and she has earned it." The human woman shook her head. "Even with the best medical tech available now, humans cannot live forever. Tenno _can_. Any of us humans can hope for freedom in death from such horrors of life, but Mag? She is stuck and has been for a long long time."

"I don't understand." Smit said weakly. "Where I come from, Tenno are scary, but they are not ruling everything."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, eyes wide. "He didn't say anything. Then again, he rarely does." She qualified. "It is a long story, but we have several hours until breakfast and I doubt you want to sleep any more." Smit shook his head. He felt good for the first time in a while. Elizabeth smiled and nodded. "Okay, just... If you start feeling strange or bad, let me know. I have a monitor attached to you, but they don't always catch things as quickly as a person."

"I was drugged." Smit froze and he felt faint. "They gave me the virus! I… No!" He begged as Elizabeth laid a hand on _his_ arm. "Don't touch me!"

"Hayden can force it into remission." Elizabeth reassured the terrified boy. "I am betting that Tenno have the means to cure it, but it is not in their interest to do so." Smit stared at her and she shook her head. "Tenno originally came from humans who were infected with the virus. They became more than ravening beasts." She paused at Smit's stunned expression. "You didn't know that?"

"No." Smit admitted. "A lot of information was lost when the Empire that held sway over the worlds on which I grew up was destroyed." Now it was Elizabeth's turn to stare at him. "The Tenno destroyed it."

"You are not from around here." Elizabeth said slowly. Smit shook his head. "Say no more of that. I know better than to try and ferret out secrets. My girls are all I have now. The Emperor finds me useful, so I try to keep myself useful. If that usefulness ends, I highly doubt that my life will _improve_." She made a face.

"What happened?" Smit asked. "Why are the Tenno in charge?"

"A long time ago in a place called the United States, a woman who was a shining light for humanity was killed." Elizabeth said quietly. "Her name was Talia and she was my distant ancestress through my father's side." Smit looked at her and she shook her head. "She has such great dreams, such hopes for the benefit for humanity as a whole. They killed her for that."

"That doesn't make sense!" Smit said sharply.

"Welcome to the human race." Elizabeth said sourly. "We don't need to make sense." She shrugged at his expression. "Looking at it pragmatically, she threatened the established order. They didn't take kindly to that. And then the _Tenno_ did not take kindly to the Americans killing their friend. _Especially_ when they proved it was the chief executive of the country who ordered her death. That man was a very bright _moron_. There is a _reason_ the name 'Trump' is considered an insult among Tenno to this day. He got most of his country _killed_. Some by the Tenno, the rest by all the _other_ enemies he made."

"Oh." Smit felt faint and Elizabeth gave his arm a squeeze.

"Yeah." Elizabeth said sourly. "They were one of the most powerful nations on Earth and when they fell, all hell broke loose. After almost twenty years of nearly continuous world wide war, the Tenno took over. They tried many, many times to avoid being put in that position and always fanatics and idiots _had_ to push them. Finally, Hayden said 'enough' and took power himself. Everything that has happened since then has been reaction."

" _Hayden_." Smit breathed and Elizabeth nodded.

"Yeah." Elizabeth heaved a sigh. "You met the First Tenno and he has been Emperor for a long, long time even as Tenno count such things. He is incredibly powerful and incredibly sneaky. Do not try to manipulate him. He won't take kindly to it."

"No." Smit swallowed hard. "He doesn't seem one to cross."

"Not healthy, no." Elizabeth shook her head and smiled. "You look better. How do you feel?"

"Weak, but good." Smit patted himself and realized he wore only a towel. His face flamed, but Elizabeth just shook her head again.

"You are hardly the first kid who has come in here needing a bath and you have nothing I haven't seen." The woman smiled at Smit's expression. "I have kids, boy. Do you think I would faint at the sight of a naked man?"

"I wouldn't know." Smit said weakly. "A bath?"

"Yeah." Elizabeth gave his arm another squeeze. "You needed to sweat to get the toxin byproducts of Trinity's special concoctions out of your system. You are not the first to come here after being in her hands." Her face fell. "And you are nowhere close to the youngest." Smit stared at the woman in horror and she bowed her head. He levered himself up and pulled Elizabeth close as she gave a tiny sob. "I do what I can, but it isn't enough sometimes." She hugged him as her tears started again. "Lotus help me, it hurts."

"The Lotus?" Smit asked, memory jarred. "You have the Lotus here?"

"You..." Elizabeth paused, her eyes going huge, tears vanishing. "You know the Lotus?"

"I am not sure we are talking about the same thing." Smit said slowly and carefully. "Where I come from, the Lotus is a being of incredible power who helps sometimes. She has always been aloof but all seeing."

"Ah..." Elizabeth licked her lips and spoke carefully. "No one knows how it happened, but a few centuries ago, a story was spread about a mother figure who came from the stars to help those in need. She called herself the Lotus and she only appeared to those in dire need. It could never be corroborated, but with so much horror and death, people were looking for hope and they took her as a beacon of hope."

"Wait." Smit said slowly. "Who would fight Tenno?"

"Who else?" Elizabeth said sourly. "Other Tenno." Smit's eyes bulged in horror and Elizabeth nodded. "At last count, there are nine pocket empires, four kingdoms and two so-called republics run by Tenno. Tenno are very hard to kill and they don't always agree on things. I think the only reason some of them haven't worked harder to exterminate humanity is that they want cannon fodder for their wars. I bet Trinity would love to kill humans in job lots."

"She seemed nice." Smit protested weakly.

"You met her? In person?" Elizabeth said weakly. "No wonder the drugs were so strong." She shook her head. "I don't know. By all accounts, she and Talia were close and losing my ancestress broke something inside many of the First Tenno. They tried so hard and then they were denied. I cannot condone most of what they have done, but I can understand it. Anger is very human and Tenno came from humans."

"I see." Smit said weakly. "I think they want to study me, figure out where I came from and how." Elizabeth nodded silently and Smit sighed. "I am screwed, aren't I?"

"Right now, you are weak and sick." Elizabeth reassured him. "You are under the Emperor's direct protection. No one will harm you while you are such. Not even the most fervent of the Empire's enemies will dare. They have learned that angering Hayden directly is a _very_ bad idea. It gets incredibly messy by all accounts."

Smit shivered and then he couldn't stop. Elizabeth cursed softly and pulled a blanket out of somewhere to lay it over him.

"And here we go. Stage two withdrawal. Right on time. I really hate Trinity." Elizabeth sighed as Smit's stomach started to roil. "Don't worry, Smit. I will take care of you. It is what I do..."

* * *

A fairly disgusting time later.

Smit lay back on the bed, too weak to even cry as Elizabeth bustled out of the room, her arms filled with soiled cloths. She was kind, so gentle. So like Mag in so many ways. Did they know each other? They had to. He was drifting a bit as a new voice sounded nearby.

"You are a very brave boy, Smit." The woman sounded sad. Was she familiar? No. He didn't know her. "Even here, even now, after what was done to you, Mag does good work. She made you what you should have been all along."

"Who are you?" Smit slurred. "You shouldn't be here. You will get in trouble."

"I am always in trouble, boy." The voice laughed. He opened his eyes, but there was no one there! "No peeking!"

"I..." Smit sighed and relaxed onto the stripped bed. He had made a hell of a mess of the bed and its sheets. Elizabeth hadn't seemed bothered by such. That spoke volumes about how much experience the woman had with such horror. He wasn't sure he wanted to know. "What can I do?" He pleaded. "I am too weak and sick to do anything. And even if I wasn't? I can't fight."

"Not Tenno, no." The woman said quietly. "Thing is, this isn't the way things were meant to be. Seeing them like this, it hurts. It really does."

"Who…?" Smit started and then broke off as Elizabeth entered the room again, followed by a younger version of herself. Smit covered himself up quickly, but the girl ignored him, working to mop up the bit of mess that had slopped onto the floor. Elizabeth shook her head.

"Are you feeling better?" Elizabeth asked. "I think the worst is over and we can move you into the dorm." Smit looked at her and Elizabeth shook her head. "The private rooms are for kids with problems. We get a lot of them in. If you want to stay in this room, you can, but we will need to clean it fairly thoroughly." She shook her head as the girl who had to be one of her daughters started cleaning a patch that had hit a wall.

"I didn't mean to..." Smit started, but Elizabeth shushed his with a gesture.

"Oh, don't worry. I will get a good day's work out of you eventually. Some of that _will_ be cleaning." Elizabeth warned but she was smiling. "For now? You are sick so we will make allowances and we can-."

"Mom!" A sharp voice interrupted from outside. "Sara is… No! Sara! Not in there!"

A young girl darted into the room, followed by another of what to be Elizabeth's daughters. The girl who entered first was _glowing!_

"Sara!" Elizabeth said sharply as the girl stared at Smit. "This is a private room!" She threw a blanket over Smit who hugged it gratefully.

"You." The glowing girl wore a full bodysuit that had a Lotus symbol on the front of the head covering. "She spoke to you. Are you the one she was waiting for?"

"Sara!" Elizabeth snapped in a tone that would be obeyed. Everyone in the room froze. Even Smit jerked at the 'Mommy is not happy' voice. "Control, girl. Now!"

Sara stared from Smit to Elizabeth and her face lost all expression. She stopped glowing and would have fallen, except the girl who had followed her in caught her and held her on her feet.

"She spoke to him." Sara said in an awed voice "I heard her!"

"Sara." Elizabeth made a shooing gesture. "You will meet him later. Out so he can dress."

"I..." Sara stared from Elizabeth to Smit and her face turned red. "Yes, Milady Elizabeth." She bowed formally to Smit. "I am pleased to meet you, Smit. We need to talk."

"Sara." Elizabeth was actually tapping her foot as Sara was escorted from the room. She turned to look at Smit who was staring after Sara, wide eyed. "And here I though this might be simple for once."

"Silly me."


	6. Chapter 6

**Kindness**

Smit was actually in pretty good spirits when Elizabeth finally let him out of the room. She had been gentle, but insistent that he not be left alone, more for fear of falling and hurting himself if something happened than from lack of trust. Having her help him dress had been embarrassing, but his weakness had been worse. Once he had started shivering again and she had forced him to sit down with the blanket around himself until the shivers had faded. They had talked about this and that while he had dressed, but avoided any sensitive subjects.

Then Elizabeth had moved to the door and beckoned him with a smile. He had followed her out into a corridor that was lined with doors exactly like the one he had stepped out of. He looked up and down the hallway but every door looked the same.

"If there is a placard on the door, it is occupied." Elizabeth said with a nod as she took a small thing off the door and showed it to him. It was a small piece of plastic with his name on it. "You can stay here if you want, but we need to do a full cleaning."

"I can stay in a dorm." Smit offered. "I have done it before."

He smoothed the jumpsuit that he wore a bit self consciously. It was not as form-fitting as the bodysuit had been and felt a bit different. It had a large symbol on the right chest, a circle with an arrow coming up at an angle. The symbol was in a tasteful blue that worked well with the blue of the jumpsuit, but it seemed odd. Especially when he realized that Elizabeth had a similar symbol on her right chest, but hers was a circle with a cross underneath it. She noted his scrutiny and nodded.

"It is not always easy to tell gender." The human woman said quietly. "Some people take it amiss if we get it wrong. I don't, but then again, it is fairly easy to tell what gender _I_ am, no?" She smirked at Smit's expression as she waved at her ample chest.

"That is true." Smit shook his head. "Is this just for humans? Sara wasn't wearing one."

"No, she wasn't." Elizabeth winced a little. "Sara is a bit different. She hasn't had an easy time and the kids tend to pick on her. I do what I can, but she won't ever get any better than she is. I hoped to find her a home, but no one is interested in broken goods." Smit didn't really know what to say to that and Elizabeth continued after a moment. "You are a special case. Most of the kids who stay here are in transit, looking for homes or at least a safe place to stay for the night. You can stay as long as the Emperor commands it." She made a face. "I bet he won't let you stay long."

"If I don't get the chance to say it later, 'Thank you'." Smit smiled as Elizabeth did. "You have been very kind."

"It is what I do." Elizabeth patted his shoulder and then started off. Smit followed her.

The corridor gave way to a large room set up with bunks. Several of them had forms huddled under blankets, some of which were awake and watching Elizabeth and Smit as they passed. More than one of the watching forms relaxed as Elizabeth smiled at them, but no one spoke. Elizabeth frowned and then shook her head.

"Oh dear." The woman started to hurry and Smit had to hustle to keep up.

"What is wrong?" Smit asked as he all but ran to keep up with Elizabeth.

"Normally, that room is a bustle of activity." Elizabeth's frown deepened. "The boys are boys. They simply cannot do anything quiet. Even when they are not being bad, they are loud. The only time they are not is when someone has done something they shouldn't have."

"Mom!" Another of Elizabeth's daughters appeared ahead, her face scared. "Trouble."

"What happened?" Elizabeth all but ran into the next room, but held up a hand to keep Smit from entering. "Not in here, Smit. This is the girl's dorm. Coriana? What happened?"

"Sheila picked a fight with the new girl." Coriana said with a frown that matched Elizabeth's. "She did her usual and wound up on the floor. I think her arm is broken. The new girl put her on the floor with barely any effort." Smit could hear muted crying from inside the room.

"What?" Elizabeth paused, shock on her face. "The girl who doesn't talk?"

"Yeah." Coriana shook her head. "None of us saw it. We heard raised voices and Nisa was moving to investigate when Sheila screamed. By the time we got there, she was on the floor. Everyone who did see it said it was self defense."

"And the new girl?" Elizabeth heaved a sigh.

"She ran off." Coriana paused. "Mom, the tech team is working down the hall she ran down." Elizabeth frowned. Then she straightened and her face took on hard cast.

"This is the third time Sheila has been caught bullying others, isn't it?" Elizabeth asked. Coriana stiffened and nodded slowly. "Okay. My authority. Take her to reconditioning. Level Three. She will make a good gardener or medic."

"Mom, if her arm is broken, the pain will interfere." Coriana wasn't protesting, Smit realized. She was following some sort of procedure.

"Right." Elizabeth put a hand to her face and then nodded. "Take her to the nurse to get her arm tended and _then_ take her to reconditioning. She is not to leave your sight." This was a command and Coriana nodded gravely. She looked in the door and paused. "Why is Sara asleep?"

"She was distraught." Coriana said with a frown. "She was babbling about the Lotus and she was upsetting the other girls. I made her take a sleeping potion and sat with her until she fell asleep."

"Good." Elizabeth shook her head. "She needs the rest, poor thing. Wait, if the girl ran towards the techs… Oh no!" She blanched and took off at a run. Smit didn't have a clue what was going on, but he followed Elizabeth. Behind him, he heard raised voices followed by cries of pain mixed with fear, but he ignored those.

Elizabeth ran into another long hallway, this one was half blocked by machinery and forms in red jumpsuits. Some of them seemed to be working, the others were clustered by a hole in one wall.

"No!" Elizabeth cried as she ran to the hole. Smit followed, only to jerk up short as the forms in red turned and all had the same face! Grineer! But… None were armed. Indeed, none held the expression of disgust mixed with arrogance that he had seen on every Grineer face he had seen in his life. And… None had artificial limbs? What the-?

"Technician Hek! What happened?" Elizabeth snapped as she skidded to a stop, unaware of Smit's sudden fear filled halt.

"Matron." One of the clones bowed to her. There was nothing to show any rank. "We were working on the ducts when a human child ran past the safety barriers. She evaded our attempts to stop her and slid into the duct before we could stop her."

" _No_." Elizabeth swallowed hard. "Is she…?"

"We replaced the safety barricade in the duct as soon as we arrived." The clone said quickly. "She did not hit the fan." Elizabeth stared at him and relaxed.

"Oh, thank _god!_ " Elizabeth slumped in relief. " _Once_ was _enough!_ "

"She is trapped against the barrier. Kela is attempting to speak to her." The clone offered. "She has not responded. We do not know if she is incapable or unwilling."

"She hasn't talked since she arrived." Elizabeth said with a frown. "No one knows if she can or not." She turned and saw Smit cowering. Her eyes widened but then she shook her head. "Smit, these are not like the clones you knew. Hek? Introduce yourself."

The red clad form nodded to Smit and spoke evenly. "I am Clone Technician Hek 12457809877." He bowed to Smit. "I am pleased to meet you, human."

"They are Grineer." Smit said weakly as Elizabeth strode to him and took hold of his hand. The clones all stared at him in shock.

"Yes." Hek said when Elizabeth did not reply. "We were created by our queens to serve the Empire. Have we caused you distress?" He seemed honestly worried.

"This is wrong." Smit cringed as Elizabeth led him towards the clones.

"Face your fear, boy." Elizabeth seemed cold and distant, but Smit could see worry in her eyes.

Smit went totally still and every clone in front of him went to one knee. He stared from clone to clone and then at Elizabeth who nodded towards them. He took a slow step and Hek spoke again.

"We exist to serve the Empire. Our queens serve the Emperor and we obey his orders. He commanded us to maintain this place and we do. That is our only duty." Smit tried hard to to swallow his tongue at that shock.

"Where I am from..." Smit said weakly. "Grineer kill people." The clones looked at one another and when they looked back at Smit, their faces were sad.

"In the past..." Hek said softly. "...unscrupulous people have used Grineer as weapons. Cheap cannon fodder. The Emperor rescued our queens from bondage and they serve him willingly as a result. You are under his protection here. You have nothing to fear from us."

"I… I can't..." Smit said weakly and then froze as Hek rose to his feet. The clone towered over Smit as he stepped forward. The clone reached down and took hold of Smit's hand.

"Who did they kill, boy?" Hek asked in a soft voice as he held Smit's hand. "Who did you lose?"

"My mother, father and brother." Smit was petrified. It was a wonder he could speak.

"And that left you alone." The clone sighed. Smit managed a nod. "Being alone is no fun at all. I have been. Now I am not. Neither are you." He slowly knelt and to Smit's amazement, hugged the boy. Without armor, the clone felt just like a human. He gave Smit a squeeze and released him. Then the clone rose and stepped back. "We can talk later if you wish, but for now? We have an emergency."

"I managed to get a partial scan. She is alive." A tall female Grineer stepped out of the hole, her face ashen. "I think she is unconscious. The barrier held, thank the Queens." This Grineer didn't have prosthetic limbs either! Her jumpsuit was brown instead of red, but she was otherwise the same as the male clones. She looked from Smit to Hek and back. "This is the boy?"

"Later." Hek said with a sigh. "That safety mesh won't hold forever. We need to get that girl _out_ of there before she falls into the fan and dies. As the Matron says, _once_ was _enough_." To Smit's amazement, _every_ Grineer's face turned a bit sick. "That duct is vertical so we need an access closer to where she is. Kela, give us the measurements. Matron? If you have a med kit, you should get it ready. We cannot tell what condition she is in." Elizabeth nodded and pulled something from her belt. Hek nodded back. "Everyone, get to work. For the Queens!"

Smit didn't know what to think, what to say. Elizabeth was beside him again and her arm over his shoulders as the Grineer swung into action. They worked fast. In moments, they had measured off an area of the floor and four of them had cutting torches out. Smit shielded his eyes as they cut through whatever material the floor was made of swiftly. In less than five minutes, the clones were levering a slab of flooring out of the way as air started tor rush by. Two clones rigged some kind of ropes to the heavy equipment and started lowering themselves into the yawning hole even as a female cry of alarm sounded. One was Kela. Other clones took hold of the ropes, ready for whatever.

"Leave me alone!" The girl sounded weak. Scared or hurt, Smit couldn't tell.

"Girl, you are going to die if we leave you in here." Kela said sharply. "Human lives are to be preserved. So the Queens command. We obey."

"No!" The girl's scream of protest cut off in a shriek of pain as the clones holding the ropes started to pull. "Stop! I… I can't! No! Please!"

The multiple clones pulling the ropes worked quickly. In moments, Kela and the other Grineer were back in the hallway, a weakly struggling human form in their hands. Blood fell to the floor, unremarked as Elizabeth started forward, only to be blocked by Hek.

"Wait. It is not safe yet." The clone commanded. "Kela, bring the girl here. Everyone else, seal that hole and get back to work We are a bit off schedule and I _really_ want that full dinner reward for early completion." All of the clones grinned a him and nodded.

Kela did as instructed, carrying the still feebly struggling girl as the other Grineer started moving the slab of flooring back into place. Smit noticed it had been cut at an angle so the plug would fit back in neatly. Once it was in place, two Grineer started to weld the floor back together and the others moved back to machinery or other tasks. Two moved whatever they were doing so they _physically_ blocked the hole. No one was getting in there again any time soon.

Kela knelt and laid the girl down at Elizabeth's feet. The human woman also went to her knees. The girl tried to crawl away, but Kela held her down effortlessly.

"Don't." Kela said sternly. "After all of that, I am not going to let you hurt yourself again. I may not want to hurt you, but I want you to hurt yourself _less_."

"Grineer..." The girl said softly, staring at Kela. "Why did it _have_ to be Grineer?"

"Girl, why?" Kela asked as Elizabeth started to work. "No one here would hurt you."

"That blonde girl attacked me." The girl on the ground said as she tried to bat Elizabeth's hands away and Kela took hold of them in a grip the girl was not going to break.

"Sheila is being punished." Elizabeth said with a sigh. "This was the third time." Kela looked sick and Elizabeth nodded. "I don't like it either, but no one is going to adopt an arrogant bully."

"Some would." The girl said with a glower that turned to relief as Elizabeth did something.

"She won't _be_ a bully when the reconditioning is done." Elizabeth said with a frown. "Why run? You defended yourself according to every witness. There is nothing wrong in that."

"I was told violence was prohibited." The girl said weakly. "That I would die if I hurt anyone."

"What?" Elizabeth demanded as she finished whatever she was doing. "Who would…? Oh. A Tenno told you that, didn't they?" She asked sourly. The girl nodded. "That is not true. We don't kill people here. There have been accidents and some have left have gone on to dangerous jobs, but here? You are safe, girl. We work hard to keep it that way."

"But I cannot leave." The girl said with a glower as Elizabeth retreated a step. Kela looked at her and Elizabeth waved the Grineer away. Kela frowned but stepped back.

"Where would you go?" Elizabeth asked. "You came from an isolated colony, didn't you?"

"We didn't want to hurt anyone!" The girl exclaimed. "Mom and Dad were happy there! Why did the Tenno attack us?"

"I don't know, girl." Elizabeth shook her head. "I have told you my name, may I know yours?"

"I..." The girl seemed to wilt a little. "I shouldn't… You are a stranger. I shouldn't talk to strangers."

"That is true." Elizabeth smiled. "But I introduced myself and we just did quite a bit to help you out of a jam."

"I am Kela." The Grineer held out a hand to the girl who stared at it. "Must we remain strangers?"

The girl slumped a bit and then shook her head. She took Kela's hand in a tentative grip, but her eyes were on Elizabeth when she spoke.

"My name is Mishka. You won't know that name. But I bet you will know what I mean when I say that I am a daughter of Iriana."

Elizabeth stiffened. Smit saw it and he was sure Kela and Mishka did too. She reached out to take Mishka's other hand and the girl relaxed a little.

"Well, Mishka." Elizabeth took a deep breath. "Yes, I know why Tenno attacked your colony but it wasn't the Emperor's forces. Let's keep your mother's name under wraps for now. Kela?" She asked the Grineer who shrugged.

"Tenno politics mean nothing to me. The queens may or may not be interested. The Emperor commanded this place be maintained. We maintain it." The hulking clone said with a grin. " _And_ I am bit hard of hearing after all of the noise of the fan so I am honestly not sure what name I heard." She tapped the side of her head and smirked. Elizabeth chuckled at Mishka's expression. She gave Mishka's hand a squeeze. "Mishka? be well." She turned to Smit and to his amazement _bowed_ to him. "Hek spoke for us all. You are not alone."

Then she was walking back to the work site. Mishka was staring at Smit eyes huge. He shrugged.

"I thought they only bowed to the Emperor and their queens." Mishka said weakly.

"Mishka." Elizabeth gave the girl's hand a warning squeeze. "He lost his family to Grineer. They give honor where they will."

"What?" Mishka asked, confused. "No one has _dared_ to use Grineer was weapons since the Emperor killed the ones who did it last and rescued their queens. He promised to protect them."

"And he has." Elizabeth smiled at Mishka. "I was just showing Smit around. Want a tour now that you are willing to talk?"

"Um… sure." The girl's face flamed as her stomach rumbled. Elizabeth just smiled.

"Maybe we should check out the dining hall first."


	7. Chapter 7

**Intrigues**

Mishka was very good company, Smit found. She was surprisingly adept at conversation for someone who had refused to talk at all on arrival. Elizabeth had spoken to her while Smit had used the facilities and when he had come out, he had found Mishka stuck to him like glue. It was a bit disconcerting at first, but the girl was not pushy in any way. She was also an incredibly good cook.

"I had hoped to be a cook when I was younger." Mishka admitted when Smit finished his lunch and complimented her on it. "The people who raised me were very good." Sadness peeked through her eyes for a moment, but she recovered before Smit could comment.

"I am not from around here." Smit said slowly. "Did Elizabeth explain?"

Elizabeth had vanished after one of her daughters had come in and muttered something about finger painting. He guessed that the woman had a whole lot of jobs, not the least of which was to keep the kids safe.

"She did." Mishka reassured him. "She said that you don't know how you got here and the Tenno were less than kind to you." She finished delicately.

"That is thew weird thing." Smit admitted as Mishka led him into another room where several comfortable chairs were set up around a set of lights. A reading area? "Most of them were nice. I get that feeling from what many have said that that is not normal."

"No." Mishka mused. "It is not. Mag is, but the others?" She shook her head. Smit looked at her sidelong and she shrugged. "She examined me when I was brought in. She was kind and gentle. Very sad though."

"Yeah." Smit flopped into a chair. Mishka did not. She perched in it as if expecting attacks. "I am worried."

"Smart." Mishka smiled a little at his expression.

"Um… I was drugged and apparently, I am a potential threat?" Smit asked Mishka who frowned.

"Anything can be a threat." Mishka said with a shrug after a moment. "We know what Trinity does, so we are warned. Elizabeth told me what symptoms to watch out for and I know first aid. Don't worry about that."

"I sort of remember waking up in a lab. They put something in my head." Smit said weakly. Mishka pursed her lips and nodded. "Why?"

"Because there are some people who have to control everything and Nyx is one of those." Mishka said with a sigh. "According to the histories, she wasn't a bad person at first. She was dangerous, to be sure, but she didn't go bad until her friend was killed."

"Talia." Smit said softly and Mishka nodded.

"Talia the First, the woman who tried to unite humanity." Mishka bowed her head. Then she shook it. "As bad as everything is at times, I think she would be pleased with how some of this has worked out." Mishka said with a small frown. "She was all about order and justice from all accounts."

"She was."

A soft voice sounded and Smit jerked, but it was _Mishka's_ reaction that stunned him. The girl was out of her chair and standing over his protectively before he could draw another breath. He stared at her and then at a form who was unfolding in the corner of the room. Sara had been crying. That was easy to see because her hood was down. Her face was misshapen, only vaguely human at all. He felt no fear about her, more concern and pity.

"Sara." Smit said slowly as Mishka stood over him. "Are you all right?"

"No." Sara stayed where she was. "I was meditating when you came in. I meant no disrespect."

"Sara Priosa." Mishka stared at her and then bowed deeply. Sara stared at her, stunned and Mishka smiled. "It is no secret that my birth mother visits her children. She talked to me when I was becoming a young woman. She told me what happened to you and more importantly, _why_ it happened to you."

"I don't blame Trinity." Sara said with a nod. Mishka snarled something that sounded foul but Sara just shook her head. "You know that any species that cannot reproduce is doomed. The Tenno cannot reproduce without heroic measures."

"That is not true, they can." Mishka declared. "They just want it faster and more efficient."

Sara stared at Mishka and her eyes widened a little. She shook her head.

"I see." Sara sighed and looked at Smit. "Has she spoken to you again, Smit?" Mishka looked from Sara to Smit and back, her eyes remote as Smit wondered what to say. Sara wilted a little. "Waiting is hard. The hardest thing I have ever done. I have heard her four times in my life, three of those times saved my life."

"I don't understand." Smit admitted. "You talk of this Lotus as if she were a deity."

"To many, she is." Sara replied. "I have prayed to her myself. The last time she saved my life, she told me wasn't a goddess. That praying to her did nothing. I offered to serve he and she refused me. Wise of her."

Sara was wilting further but she jerked upright as Smit surged up form his chair and crossed the small space between then with two strides. Mishka was at his side, but did not interfere as he took Sara in his arms and held her gently. She stared at him, wide eyed.

"You may be sick, Sara." Smit hugged the girl as she started to cry. "You may not survive. But never, ever put yourself down. You are special. You are who you are. You are a little girl who has gone through hell."

"So have you." Sara reached out to touch Smit's forehead and he felt something go 'click'. She hugged him back and smiled at his expression. "Sorry I had to be so gushy. Nyx was watching but she knows tech gets a bit odd around me." She looked at Mishka. "Iriana's daughter, are you here to harm, hold or ward?"

"I am here because my foster parents were killed and this is the safest place for me." Mishka said slowly. "You are not just Sara, are you?"

"That would be telling." Sara smiled at Smit's expression. "Many eyes are on you, Smit. You know this." He nodded. "There must be no secrets here. You are not from our reality." Mishka inhaled sharply and Sara nodded. "That makes him incredibly dangerous and incredibly useful for all kinds of people. The Emperor not the least. Which is why Hayden went out of his way to place Smit in his debt."

"I wondered." Mishka said slowly. "Every time the Emperor acts kindly, people start to jostle for power, even many who should know better."

"Yes, and this time is no different. Smit is a flashpoint for another schism." Sara said with a sigh. "Trinity and Nyx were already at odds over him, but now Frost is involved as well." Why did Mishka have a sick look on her face?

"Frost didn't seem so bad." Smit said slowly.

"He is very good at hiding what he is." Sara said with a frown. "You look like his preferred prey." Smit froze and Sara nodded. "Yes, he had Almira because he wasn't going to touch _her_."

"Oh." Smit swallowed hard as bile rose. "Um… does he kill?" Both Sara and Mishka shook their head and Smit felt even more sick. "I see."

That was worse in many ways.

"Yes, you have been dropped into a firestorm, Smit." Sara hugged him again. "You couldn't ask for a better bodyguard though." Mishka did not react at the compliment. "None of the bullies will bother you with Mishka nearby. Not after what she did to Sheila. The duct was dumb though." She chided Mishka gently.

"I was acting on instinct." Mishka admitted. "I saw the Grineer and I had to hide. Didn't even think about vertical ducts for fans." She shook her head. "Why was the duct open?"

"A boy named Aeron tried to escape through that duct. He got the hatch open and jumped in." Sara was crying softly again. "He was smart and brave, but he didn't know where we were."

"Tried?" Mishka asked tightly. Sara nodded. "Oh."

"That duct hadn't been maintained in a long time and the safety barrier broke when he fell on it. You saw the fan." Sara looked sick and Mishka shared it. "He wasn't a bad kid, just angry all the time. He didn't want to hurt anyone, he just wanted to get away. I hope wherever he is that he is happier."

"So the Grineer were fixing the barrier and the duct to make it safe again." Mishka said slowly. "I see." She looked at Smit. "And they bowed to you. That means the queens deem you worthy of respect."

"I don't understand." Smit admitted. He didn't try and escape Sara's grasp even when he started to feel funny. "Where I am from, Grineer are a menace. They kill people."

"Sara, let go of him." Mishka said quickly as he pulled Smit back from Sara. Sara stared at her and then at Smit, her eyes going big. She retreated a step as Mishka led Smit to a chair and sat him down. "Smit, think of water. Ice. Cold things. Do it now."

Smit was shivering as he did as instructed. The shivers faded as he thought of ice water. He stared a Mishka and then at himself.

"What did they do to me?" Smit begged as Mishka retreated a step.

"Trinity runs the reproduction center." Sara said with wide, sorrowful eyes. "Her 'patients'..." She said delicately. "...rarely remember all of what happens in there. She is the most knowledgeable being in existence on drugs and toxins. She gave you a powerful sedative, but she also gave you something else. A powerful aphrodisiac that made you an addict. If it is anything like some things I have heard of, it will kill you eventually if you do not get another dose."

"Careful, Sara." Mishka said softly. "A girl in an orphanage wouldn't know that." Smit jerked, but his body wasn't working right and it flopped to the side. Mishka was at his side in an instant and her hand raising him back up ignited fires in his body. "Oh dear."

"No!" Smit begged as his body betrayed him.

"Think _cold_ , Smit!" Sara said sharply as she stepped close.

"I am trying!" Smit groaned out. "It isn't working now. No! I won't!" He screamed as his body hurt in a bunch of ways. Then it didn't hurt, but he knew it was wrong. " _I won't!_ "

"You wish to be free." Sara's eyes were glowing an odd color now and her voice was different. "Do you wish to go home?"

"If I go back, I am dead." Smit gasped. "If I stay? I am dead. What is the gain?" He was crying as he fought back the lusts that rose through his body.

"We can help you." The voice of the Sara who was more than Sara boomed like thunder in the small room. "But we need your help as well. You must go to Trinity."

" _NO!_ " Mishka declared. "He is just a _boy!_ "

"You of all people know that there are no innocents now, Iriana's daughter." The other said sharply. "We cannot save him. She can."

"At what _cost?_ " Mishka demanded angrily. "His _soul?_ His _sanity?_ "

"Maybe his humanity." The other said sadly as she reached out to touch Smit's forehead.

"Sleep."

* * *

The word was flashes of red mixed with other colors, some of which Smit had no names for. He was flying, floating, falling, lying on something hard. He was a human, a Tenno, a small furry animal. He was awake. He was asleep.

He was…

It was…

* * *

Smit jerked awake with a scream. He was lying on a large round circular thing in a large open room. The room was bare except for what he lay on and a thing on the ceiling that was emitting light. The walls were odd colored but soothing to look at. Most of the floor was white, the thing he lay on a shade of gray. It was very hard and he was clad only in a thin green gown. He immediately started to shiver. As he was looking around, a hologram formed nearby. An oddly ageless looking woman with a sad face nodded to him.

"Hello Smit." The woman's face split with a smile that did not reach her eyes. "Back with us?"

"Where am I?" Smit demanded, anger and fear warring in his voice.

"You were very sick." The woman said with a nod. "They brought you to Trinity and she saved your life."

"After she tried to _kill_ me!" Smit snarled.

"She didn't." The other sighed. "Or, not intentionally. She didn't plan on the _Emperor_ taking an interest in you. No one thought of that. She planned to snatch you from Nyx and tend you then. _Neither_ of them wanted you in Frost's tender care. But no one sane crosses the Emperor."

"So I have heard." Smit managed snark somehow and the woman smiled at him. "I am cold."

"I am sorry." The woman looked and sounded honestly apologetic. "But the treatment is not quite done yet. You will need to stay here until it is. They can tend you here."

"Where am I?" Smit demanded angrily. "I was… It was..." He couldn't quite bring things to mind. "What has Trinity _done_ to me?"

"Short term memory loss is fairly common in humans who undergo such treatments." Smit went even colder as Trinity appeared nearby. She wore her warframe, but no weapons. She didn't move. Smit's eyes went huge as _Hayden_ appeared beside her. The Emperor was _not_ happy.

"I promised the boy he would be safe, Trinity." Hayden said in a mild tone that somehow conveyed threat.

"I told you as soon as I realized!" Trinity all but babbled. She didn't seem to see the hologram. Odd. "I had everything ready when you brought him!"

"And that is the only reason I haven't torn you apart." Hayden growled and stepped to Smit who stared from him to the warframe and back. "Your plots and plans mean nothing to me as long as they do not inconvenience me, Trinity. This has inconvenienced me." Again. Cold, clear, matter of fact. And _scary as_ _hell._

Of all the things Smit had never seen and _never_ wanted to again, seeing a warframe _cringe_ was high on that list. He didn't like Trinity, but anything that could _terrify_ her bore watching.

"Ah, yes, Hayden." Trinity all but collapsed. "What can I do?"

"Take Nyx's control chip out." Hayden commanded. "Smit, lie back." Smit didn't even _think_ of arguing. He was on his back before his fore brain caught up with his hind brain. Trinity stepped close and the golden hologram moved so Smit could see it.

"We should anesthetize." Trinity said softly. Hayden glared at her and she cringed again. "It will hurt him." She warned.

"And you can _guarantee_ that any anesthesia you use won't have the same side effects as what you gave him before?" Hayden asked in a deceptively mild tone. Trinity winced and shook her head. "I have it."

Smit stared as Hayden sat down beside him, taking his hand. Trinity stared from the Emperor to Smit and back, but then she laid her hands on Smit's head. Energy flare around Smit's head, but nothing hurt, for which he was grateful.

"This won't be secret for much longer, Smit. So I can explain it to you now." Hayden said in a conversational tone. "I don't know what you have heard, but this whole mess started when a good friend of ours was killed." Smit would have nodded, but he couldn't move his head. He wasn't afraid. Why wasn't he afraid? "I took control of your nervous system to hold the pain away. Also to keep you still." Hayden admitted.

 _Thank you._ Smit tried to say but it didn't get out. Hayden nodded anyway. Had he heard that?

"I did hear that. and you are welcome." Hayden smiled. Said smile faded. "But don't thank me until I ask what I will. You won't owe me anything except a meal and a roof for a night."

 _You kept me out of Frost's hands._ Smit sent and Hayden grimaced.

"Yeah, I don't know when he went off the rails so badly." The Emperor shook his head. "If I didn't need him so badly, I would have acted long ago. That makes me sick, what he does. Thing is, you should be insane. You are not."

"What?" Trinity asked as she backed up. "I didn't-"

"Stand there and listen." Hayden said sharply. Trinity nodded and stood. "Better yet? _You_ can explain, Talia." At that name, Trinity froze.

" _Talia?"_ Smit spoke that aloud as Hayden retracted his hand. He stared at the hologram who nodded. Trinity jerked as if seeing her for the first time.

"I am what is left of Talia." The hologram said quietly. "When I died, I had been working on a project for grieving loved ones. I didn't realize what else it would do. That when I was shot and killed, a copy of my mind would be imprisoned in here. Luckily, I am the only one this has been inflicted on. And luckily, Hayden was quick to realize what had happened."

"Still took me far too long." Hayden muttered. "How many virtual centuries did you spend alone?"

"Stop blaming yourself for _my_ fuck ups." Talia snarled. Trinity and Smit both froze, horrified, but Hayden _laughed!_

"By your command." Hayden intoned as both Smit and Trinity goggled at him. _Talia_ laughed.

"Same old Hayden even after so long." Talia said with a smile. "Even after so many centuries and so much horror, you can _still_ make me laugh." She shook her head. "We are getting off topic. It is good to see you again, Trinity. Or may I still call you Lynn?"

"I… You can call me anything you want." Trinity was sobbing. "Talia? Why? Why _now_?" She stared from Talia to the emperor and back.

"No one knew besides me. She is stuck in the system and no matter what we try, she cannot get out. As for why _now_? Because we were waiting for something we couldn't define." Hayden said quietly. "Something that defied our reality." Smit inhaled sharply and Hayden nodded but it was Talia who spoke up.

"Yes, Smit. We are going to ask -beg- your help."


	8. Chapter 8

**Real?**

For a long moment, Smit just stared at the hologram. He knew his jaw was hanging down and that was rude, but he couldn't help it. Just the thought of this whatever-she-was and the Emperor who just happened to be the very first Tenno as well needing _his_ help was ludicrous in the extreme.

"Uh..." Smit had no idea what to say, what to do. He felt funny. Everything was going distant.

"Trinity!" Hayden barked and the warframe stepped forward, hand reaching down to touch Smit's head.

"He shouldn't be reacting like this." Trinity sounded perplexed. "Unless she trapped the chip?"

"She didn't want him dead either." Hayden snapped. "We need him, Trinity!"

"On it." Trinity knelt down beside Smit and he could feel his body slowly going numb. "He is not going to want to be awake for this." She warned.

"If he starts trying to hump your leg, I will take your head off." Hayden promised, but then he sighed. "Smit, you need to sleep." He reached out to touch Smit's hand again.

"Scared." Smit managed to croak out.

"You have a right to that." Hayden said with a sound that was half snarl, half groan. "But I am here. You are safe."

"I… guess I should… trust..." Smit managed, but then his strength failed.

"No." Hayden shook his head as his hands cupped Smit's head. "Don't trust me. Bad things happen when people trust me."

Smit was staring at the Emperor as darkness crowded his vision. It felt welcoming, gentle.

Then it wasn't.

Smit screamed as something tore into his mind, pulling bits and pieces of himself away from where he was. He heard Hayden curse and Trinity query, but then the agony tore through him and all he could do was cry.

 _LEAVE HIM_ **ALONE** _!_

The words were male, strong and confident. It wasn't Hayden! It wasn't anyone that Smit knew. A female voice gasped in shock as something took hold of the tattered pieces of Smit's mind and pulled them back together.

He was suddenly lying on something cold and hard. Metal?

 _He is mine._ A cold female voice spoke from nearby. It wasn't aloud. Indeed, it didn't seem to be human.

 _Oh?_ The male voice demanded. _This boy sold his service to you despite not knowing who you are or what you are? Do not attempt subterfuge with me. You will not interfere here again, Natah._

 _Go to hell, Hunhow!_ The other retorted. _This place and all if it's denizens are mine and- No! No! You cannot!_ The voice cut off in a haze of static.

 _Watch me._ The other sounded tired and sick as Smit felt scrutiny. _Ah, boy… Damn her. She just_ **refuses** _to see reason. And she dares to call herself pure?_ Something touched Smit and the other made a noise of disgust. _Rebekah? We need you._

"Oh my god! What has she done?" A very different female voice sounded from nearby as hands picked Smit up and cradled him close. "Boy? Boy, can you hear me?" She begged as warmth surrounded Smit. "We need to help him. Summon the others."

Smit stared up at a form that wasn't human. But he knew her! Or, _of_ her. The blue suit and the mask that covered her face down to the jaw was familiar to any denizen of the solar system.

"Lotus?" Smit begged as consciousness started to flee, but then blue energy mixed with red pushed it back and felt something touch him. It wasn't human in any way but it felt kind.

"That is one name I known by here." The not human female said with a smile as she held Smit. Energy was playing all over him from many places now, but he couldn't look away from her mask. "We cannot interfere, boy Smit."

"But… The Lotus does." Smit pleaded. "Please?"

"No." The other said sadly. "The Lotus does not. An _aspect_ of the Lotus does. But that aspect is insane."

"I don't understand. You can help." Smit begged.

"That is forbidden." The woman said sadly. "I wish it were not so, but it is forbidden. I better get you back before the Emperor gets any more upset."

Smit coughed and sputtered as Trinity eased him back to the floor. He stared up at Hayden who had a saw blade in hand, facing a hologram of a blue suited woman. The golden hologram was backed against the wall, her face terrified.

"We were in time." The lotus suited woman said quietly. "We eased him and brought him back. She will not do that again."

"You said that last time." Hayden said coolly.

"She has not done the same thing twice. Ever." The blue hologram said mildly. "She is incredibly bright which is why we were left here."

"Yeah." Hayden sighed deeply. "I apologize, Rebekah." He took a deep breath and his blade vanished. "I am not angry with you or Hunhow. I suddenly have hope for the first time in millennia. She nearly destroyed that hope."

"What?" The blue hologram stared at the Emperor. "She saw something of value to you, so she wanted to break it. Why is the boy so important?"

"Don't tell me you haven't seen the projections." Hayden said quietly. "I know you have datataps everywhere."

"If we did, you know I couldn't talk about them without violating the Prime Directive." The blue hologram smiled a bit grimly. "But… Hypothetically, if we were having a discussion about some kind of projections, those would be the sterility epidemic?"

"Yes." Hayden said flatly. "Humanity is dying out." Smit felt his world suddenly fall to pieces. Humanity? Dying? Even if this wasn't his world… Things started to make horrific sense. "Even with everything Trinity and her people can do, even pushing past the boundaries of ethics, we cannot stop it. Even with every piece of medical tech, we give it at most ten years at most before the wars eat up all of the viable soldiers and they start using non-viable. The old, the young, the injured."

"That is regrettable." The other said slowly. "Humanity has done many great things, both good and bad."

"And without humanity, what are the Tenno?" Trinity asked softly as she finished what she was doing. "With the Technocyte virus contained, we have no purpose beyond protecting humanity. And we have failed."

"I...see." The blue hologram frowned. "But why the boy?" Then she hissed. "No! You cannot _do_ that!"

"Show me an alternative." Hayden said with a shrug. "If we do it _here_ , it should only..."

"You don't know what you are playing with." The blue holo interrupted him.

"Yes, I do." Hayden started to speak oddly and Smit heard things that sounded vaguely mathematical. The blue holo tilted her head as Hayden continued to speak. Smit stared at Trinity who shook her head.

"That is… interesting. A novel approach and technically feasible." The hologram of the Lotus said slowly. Then she shook her head. "Utterly unethical. The Federation will _freak_."

"I know they cannot help, but at least can they not hinder?" Hayden asked.

"Does _he_ know what you are asking of him?" The Lotus demanded.

"I was going to explain." Hayden said quietly. "I wouldn't do it against his will."

"I really wish I could believe that." The Lotus said with a sigh. She looked away for a moment. "I do feel for the plight of humanity, even if I am not human anymore. But this is madness. We cannot let this happen."

Smit wilted as a dozen metal forms appeared in the room, surrounding the Emperor and Trinity. Were these Sentients? A green one that was larger than the others hovered over him as Trinity backpedaled. It seemed almost protective? Even Hayden might have trouble with so many of the metal things if half of what Smit had heard as child was true.

"At least run the probabilities!" Hayden pleaded as Smit felt something gather him up. Not hands. "Not for myself or for the Tenno. For _humanity!_ "

The Lotus stared at him and then she sighed. "Those will take quite while to run and if we give you the chance, you will take the boy out of our reach."

"I would." Hayden agreed. Then he did the unthinkable. He knelt. Trinity gasped and Smit felt faint. "Please. I beg of you. Run the probabilities. You can stay with him. He can stay here or in the orphanage.

The blue hologram turned to the golden one and Talia flinched.

"And your position in this?" The Lotus asked.

"I am not going to say I wouldn't like to be alive again." Talia admitted. "But mainly, things went badly wrong when I died. Hayden and the others overreacted. They admit that. Tenno have always been better at breaking things than fixing them." Hayden and Trinity both nodded. "They have spent ever since trying to fix what they did. They can't. Humanity is doomed unless we act."

"And the life of one young innocent is meaningless." The Lotus said with a growl.

"No." Talia said heavily. "The needs of the many may often outweigh the needs of the few or the one, but that doesn't make the needs of the few or the one meaningless. His life means something. We hoped to do it without causing harm."

"You have no idea what you are playing with." The Lotus snarled. "Time is _not_ something to meddle with lightly."

"It is not lightly." Hayden said quietly as the green Sentient pulled Smit close. Energy played from it across his body. Whatever it was doing felt _good_. "I have spent the last two hundred years running calculations in the hope of finding a proper source of DNA."

"And how would you power such a thing?" The Lotus demanded.

"Solar collectors have been constructed around the star's corona." Hayden said with a nod. "They have been in operation for the last three decades."

"You have though this through." The Lotus sounded sick. "I... We cannot allow this, Emperor Hayden. Stand down. Let us take the boy. We will look for other alternatives."

"I can't let you do that." Hayden said slowly and suddenly, a dozen warframes surrounded the Sentients! Everyone raised weapons, but then-

"No!" A terrified voice heralded Sara appearing nearby. She ran to Smit and threw herself on the boy as the green Sentient tried to pull back. "No! There is no need to fight! Please!"

"Sara." The Lotus sounded sick. "Oh Sara."

"We are all trying to do the same thing!" Sara pleaded. "Survive! Is that so wrong?"

"Sara." The Lotus said slowly. "Natah confused you." She broke off whatever she was going to say as Sara shook her head. "Sara..."

"I know the evil one's voice and I rejected her whispers." Sara said firmly. "That is not who saved me." The Lotus recoiled, her visible face ashen. Hayden stared from one to the other, his own face remote and his Glaive in hand. "Now I finally know why." She smiled a bit forlornly as she looked at the green Sentient. "Can you take us to these coordinates, please? She is calling me, she says you need to come too"

"Sara!" The Lotus snapped.

"Trinity." Hayden said softly as the ring of warframes started closing in. "Get the shields up." Sara looked at him and he shook his head. "Sara Priosa, stand down."

"Begging your pardon, Emperor Hayden Tenno, but you do not have all of the information." Sara said with a small, sad smile. "He will not be harmed."

Smit gasped as space seemed to warp around him, Sara and the Sentient. His stomach rebelled and suddenly, they were elsewhere. The energy that held him twisted a little and the contents of his stomach that would have wound up on his chest fell to hit the floor next to Sara who fell to lie boneless on the floor of- What the hell? Rock hung from the ceiling and came up from the floor in oddly wet looking spikes. Was this a cave?

"Sara!" Smit managed to get out as the field that held him lowered him to the floor. He touched her arm, but it was limp, cold. "No!"

He stared up at the Sentient and it seemed as much at a loss as he was. A field of energy played from it, but when it touched Sara, a shower of sparks flared and the Sentient retreated. Smit felt his eyes burn and he did not fight the tears that came.

"She is gone." A sad female voice pulled Smit's streaming eyes to the side where a form stood. She looked sort of like the Lotus, but not quite. The headdress and suit were red instead of blue. She stepped forward and knelt beside Sara, her hand touching the girl's head. "She knew her time was short but a war between the Tenno and the Sentients would solve nothing. I told her what was happening and she demanded to go. One life for many."

 _One life for many._ A soft, sad voice sounded in Smit's head. _A very brave Tenno. Who are you?_ It sounded wary now.

 _My human name was Jesse._ The red garbed woman said in the same way as she rose. _You may call me Mariposa._

 _What have they done?_ The Sentient floated closer to the woman in red and the being who called herself Mariposa let the alien form scan her. _What have they_ **done** _?_ It repeated, sounding horrified.

"The Tenno did not do this." Mariposa slowly sank to the floor, folding her legs beneath her. "A human corporation called the Void Corpus made me from several of its employees as a weapon to be used against their competition. Jesse had latent abilities that were triggered by the change. Her memories are strongest, but I have others. I remember her the best."

 _This is wrong._ The Sentient said weakly.

"I know." Mariposa laid a hand on Smit's arm as he sobbed over Sara. "I submit to Federation justice. I hope that you can stop this from happening to anyone else. Jesse was a model employee, loyal to a fault, but she didn't deserve this. None of them did."

 _What happened to the humans who came into our system was bad enough._ The Sentient said sternly. _But this? This is going to upset all kinds of people. Natah is bad enough but if they are making_ **weapons** _like her..._

"I never wanted to be a weapon." Mariposa said quietly. "I do not want that company to make more. I have worked ever since freed myself to keep it from happening again but I also found a reason to exist." She smiled as the Sentient made a soft noise, almost a gasp. "People needed help. They needed hope."

 **That** _is why the people think the Lotus interferes when she doesn't. She can't._ The Sentient made a sour electronic noise. _Oh dear. The Federation Council is just going to_ **love** _this._ It paused. _And you are seeking justice now… because…?_

"Because I have run the probabilities." Mariposa said mildly. "If humanity perishes, it will cause far worse problems. Because they will not go quietly and the level of engineering they have put into this system will not be sustainable if enough damage is done to the infrastructure."

 _And if the system flies apart, that has the potential to affect everyone in the stellar neighborhood._ The Sentient sounded almost punch drunk now. _This is not something I can judge. This may be bigger than the_ **Council** _._

"I know." Mariposa sighed deeply and sat down by Smit. "But I am tired of running. I am tired, period. This boy has done nothing but be hurt again and again. I may deserve punishment for what I have done. Does _he_?"

 _No._ The Sentient hovered over Smit again and this time when the energy touched him, it sent him into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

Later

Smit woke to find himself in a wheeled chair. He was covered by a blanket and he felt good. Mariposa sat in a similar chair beside him. The room was small, circular and bare metal as far as he could see. There were no doors or windows.

"What? Where?" Smit felt fear rise, but something touched him and it faded.

 _You have nothing to fear from us, human child._ That was the voice of the green Sentient, but she was nowhere in sight. _Your injuries have been tended. You are safe and secure for the foreseeable future._

"Thank you." Smit said automatically. Mariposa smiled at him but then he noticed her chair had bindings holding her arms and legs. "What?"

"My creation broke their laws, Smit." Mariposa said with a minute shrug. "It wasn't my choice, but their law doesn't make distinctions about such. I impersonated one of them as well. That _was_ by choice."

"Are you _insane_?" Smit wanted to drag the words back in as soon as he spoke them, but Mariposa just chuckled.

"By some definitions, almost certainly." The red garbed woman said with a grin.

"How long and…Sara!" He tried to get out of the chair, but he couldn't. He was held in it by some kind of field. "Why am I stuck? Did we leave her there?"

"This is not a human facility. It has no gravity or air outside of our immediate area. The field is for your safety." Mariposa said softly. "As for how long? About an hour. They do good work. Sara? I don't know. They took her body, said they would do what they could. I don't know. She was a good friend. Part of me hopes they can save her, the rest of me is grateful she isn't in pain anymore." She gasped as a huge form appeared nearby. It should not have fit in the room, but it managed somehow. She smiled a bit warily. "Ah… Hello Hunhow."

"You have caused us no end of problems, young one." The towering form said sternly. It was speaking aloud? Probably for Smit's benefit. It turned to Smit. "But that can wait. The situation between Sentient and Tenno is delicate at the moment, so I have to ask the young human this: Do you know what the Tenno Emperor wanted you to do?"

"No." Smit admitted. Hunhow turned back to Mariposa, but turned back when Smit spoke again. "But… If humanity is doomed, must we not try to save them?"

"The extinction of any thinking race is not something to take lightly." Hunhow said slowly. "That said, humanity has earned the ire of any number of others. Hence why we are here."

"What?" Smit stared at Hunhow and then gulped. "Um… This _isn't_ an invasion?"

"Technically no, our presence here is a peacekeeping response to several invasions."


	9. Chapter 9

**Flowers**

"I don't understand." Smit said weakly as Hunhow loomed over him. He wasn't afraid. He should be, he knew that. But he wasn't.

"Then let us correct that." Hunhow sounded almost prim for a moment and Mariposa grinned at Smit. "What is an invasion? Do you know the definition?"

"When someone invades somewhere." Smit managed to keep the 'duh' out of his voice by sheer force of will. Mariposa grinned wider and he shook his head. "That is what the word means, is it not?"

"True, in so far as it goes." Hunhow allowed. "An instance of invading a country or region with an armed force is the most common definition and that is what has happened five times in our recorded history originating from this solar system." Smit goggled at the metal form and Hunhow heaved an all too human sigh. "My expeditionary force was sent here to keep it from happening again."

"I..." Smit was flabbergasted. "Who would _dare_?"

"Who do you think, Smit?" Mariposa asked sadly. "Humans and Tenno share ambition if little else at times."

"But..." Smit paused what he was going to say and Hunhow spoke again.

"We did a lot of scans when we healed you. We know you are not from this reality, human Smit." Hunhow said in a kindly voice. "We know better than to probe the boundaries between worlds. The wardens have no sense of humor. The fact that you are alive and sane is a miracle as humans say." It paused and when it spoke again, its tone was darker as it glared at Mariposa. "Or someone meddled."

"I did not. I know my limits, Sentient Protector of Worlds." Mariposa said formally. "You may scan my memory banks if you wish. I have no defenses that would keep you out."

"You offer such freely?" Hunhow asked slowly. Mariposa nodded. It made no noise that Smit could hear, but moments later, the blue form that Smit had seen before appeared beside it. Rebekah was frowning. "She offers freely."

"This will hurt you." Rebekah said softly as she stepped towards where Mariposa was confined. "And you agree?"

"It is the only way for you to see my truth, as opposed to yours." Mariposa slumped a bit, obviously forcing herself to relax. "Truth always depends on point of view. I am not looking forward to it, but I do agree."

Rebekah turned to Hunhow and something unheard passed between them. She nodded slowly and reached out to touch Mariposa. A shimmering field of energy surrounded the two as Mariposa's mouth opened in a scream, but Smit heard nothing.

"It won't be long. Look away, young one." Hunhow said gently. It flashed to gain his attention and then an appendage reached out slowly to hover over him. Again, Smit wasn't afraid as energy played over him. It felt heavenly. "We did not do this. If Mariposa did not do this… Nathah hurt you, but she has been confined for some time. If she accessed the outside world, then we have bigger problems."

"Why did she hurt me?" Smit felt bereft as the energy faded, leaving him to bask in comfort for a moment.

"Natah is insane." Hunhow said flatly. "It is our fault and our responsibility. We did not plan what happened and we tried to help, but she refused our aid, seeking vengeance against the Tenno instead."

"Why?" Smit asked. "I mean, you are nothing like the stories I heard as child."

"We came into being when explorers from Earth hit a pocket of natural radiation in a far off star system." Hunhow replied. "They didn't know what to expect or even that ti was there. They died." It sounded pensive for a moment. "The Sentience came into being from their death and we remember their sacrifice. They were brave and hopeful for the future, but they faced something that was utterly alien to their knowledge. They knew their own worlds, not the one that became ours. We have found their names and we will remember." That was a vow.

"Was Natah one of them?" Smit asked and Hunhow pulsed a red color.

"No." Hunhow replied. "Another group of humans came to the system and we saved them from the same fate. They were astonished, but communication was very difficult. We did not understand them, they did not understand us." Smit tensed.

"That didn't end well, did it?" Smit asked.

"No." Hunhow replied, sounding sad. "They had not come for exploration or seeking knowledge. They had come to hide while plotting against the Tenno Emperor." Smit gasped and Hunhow continued. "One of our representatives was invited to attend the birth of the first children born in that area and we did gladly. My daughter was fascinated with humans and Tenno." Rage peeked out through Hunhow's voice, but it faded.

"You are not talking about Rebekah, are you?" Smit asked softly.

"She is my daughter in every way that matters now, but no." Hunhow replied. "My daughter did not have a name. I did not have a name as humans see them at the time. We had designations in mathematical notation. It was long and unwieldy for humans to use. We liked some of the humans, but they made uneasy. We had no idea."

"What happened?" Smit asked, afraid now. A wave of energy washed over him banished his fear and he smiled at the Sentient.

"One of the humans came to us in secret." Hunhow said heavily. "He warned us that something bad was going to happen. We did not understand, but we took precautions as he directed. That was simple sense. It is well we did or all of us may have suffered my daughter's fate."

"What did they do?" Smit asked. He wasn't afraid now and the energy stopped.

"We have no words for what they did, but the closest human word is 'rape'." Hunhow said with what had to be an electronic growl. "My daughter ceased to be. We believed her slain and were moving to contain and perhaps even exterminate the humans when a new voice entered our sentience. A voice that became two voices. One voice that screamed one word over and over: 'Revenge'. The other just sobbed."

"My god..." Smit breathed.

"You have met Rebekah." Hunhow turned to where Rebekah and Mariposa were both frowning now. At least Mariposa wasn't screaming anymore. "The other mind inside her body is what hurt you."

"My god." Smit repeated. "She… They… _Two_?"

"Yes." Hunhow said sadly. "Two minds in one body. One sane, one mad. I adopted them to help them. To try and find way to separate the two. So far, I have failed. We formed the Federation shortly afterwards. The humans hadn't had a clue for the most part what their leaders had planned. Most of them seemed just as aghast at what had happened as we were. We could not trust, so one human underwent what Mariposa is now. He was very brave, Steve of the Pink Shorts. We hurt him very badly, but we determined the guilty and only punished them. He survived. With his and the other humans' help, we formed the Federation. Just in time. Other humans came into the system with weapons and Tenno. We barely fought them off."

"And you came here..." Smit said slowly. "Natah?"

"She became dominate and fled through the portal after the last incursion." Hunhow said sadly. "We debated long and hard before deciding to send an expeditionary force to apprehend her and try to stem the attacks. We succeeded in both, but mainly because the Emperor was distracted. We cannot match him power to power. We will not stoop to the tactics he calls 'fair'."

"And Natah had already declared herself as the Lotus by then." Smit mused. "So..."

"So, we are stuck here." Hunhow allowed. "We can make more fighters as needed, but we are bound by our oaths. We protect our people by holding the Outer Rail of the Terminus and keeping the humans penned in this system. An evil, but a necessary one. Natah wants to slaughter Tenno and anything that gets in her way. We cannot allow that. Slaying her, while it would serve the purpose, would also slay an innocent. My daughter Rebekah. We tried to send her home for treatment, but she fought her way free and we cannot send her while she fights."

"Gah." Smit said with feeling. "No wonder you stay out of conflicts. Your own are convoluted enough. And then humans started worshiping the Lotus."

"Very true." Hunhow made a noise of amusement. " _We_ are the Lotus. Limit Outer Terminus Until Secure. Those were our orders. We had no idea she choose a flower name as her own or why. She is insane, so her reasons rarely make any sense."

"And she hates the Emperor?" Smit asked.

"She hates the Tenno. Humanity is just in the way." Hunhow corrected the boy grimly. "The weapon they were trying to make her into was programmed to kill the Emperor. She is trying to fulfill her program. She might have even succeeded of we had not arrived when we did. He was not prepared for her. Now he is."

"You do not want to kill her and you cannot hold her." Smit slumped a bit. "You may have to kill her."

"Rebekah says the same." Hunhow seemed to swell. "Our Federation law is clear. We do not kill except in self defense. Natah cannot fight us. Indeed, she does not _try_ to fight us. She only wants to kill the Tenno. Anything else is collateral damage. She lashed out at you because you were valuable to the Emperor."

"What does he want with me?" Smit asked plaintively. "I am just a boy and not a very strong one at that."

"You are a boy on the cusp of manhood." Hunhow corrected him. "And you share DNA with a known historic source. A reviled source, but a known one. He wishes to use you to alter the past."

For a long moment, the words didn't make any sense to Smit. Then he jerked in his seat.

"That is impossible." Smit said weakly. "Isn't it?" He pleaded when Hunhow did not respond.

"There are possibilities, mathematically speaking." Hunhow replied as it turned to Mariposa again. Smit's eyes followed the Sentient as the field around Mariposa faded. The red garbed female was sobbing. Rebekah's face was stern. "Daughter?"

"She speaks the truth." Rebekah's face lightened a little as she reached out to touch Mariposa. "She did not meddle with him. I am sorry, Mariposa. Natah is very angry that Mariposa impersonated her." She shook her head. "Natah lashed out at Mariposa and I couldn't stop her from causing harm in the midst of the scan."

"She put a virus in me." Mariposa said weakly. "A series of hidden traps and..." She gasped as energy flared from Hunhow and then she shrieked in agony as red _things_ were torn from her body. They looked like writhing computer code. Said things flared and vanished. She bowed her head, but her words shocked Smit. "Thank you. If she had taken control..."

"We would have stopped you." Rebekah held Mariposa as she shuddered. "She is very sneaky, but she knows we won't stand for some things. Father? She is all alone." The concern in Rebekah's voice touched Smit. Hunhow seemed to pause in midair.

"How long have you been alone?" Hunhow asked as it floated to Mariposa.

"I have my data." Mariposa was gasping as energy flared from Hunhow again. This time, she sighed and relaxed. "I have my duty. I and my allies will not let those silly humans cause such a catastrophe again." Hunhow and Rebekah looked at one another and Mariposa shook her head. "I can hear you. I do not want to be seen an eavesdropper."

"I will put it in the next report." Hunhow had a smile in its voice as Mariposa's restraints clicked open. "One of the humans with us had expressed and interest in children. Robert Olim is a good man."

"You have _humans_ with you?" Smit asked, incredulous. Then he paused. "Duh. Of course you do."

"Yes." Rebekah smiled at Smit. "We do not always understand humans and many demanded to help defend their homes and families. We wouldn't dream of putting them in combat, but no one doubts their bravery. They are helping secure the Terminus. Mariposa, Robert is a good man."

"I can help." Mariposa said weakly. "I did run the probabilities."

"I know." Rebekah reassured her. "I saw them and yes, I checked them. They are true. Father, if this system falls apart, the backlash may very well travel across the rails wherever humanity has gone."

"As I feared." Hunhow turned to Smit. "Human Smit, your life is the gravest jeopardy here. This is not your reality and we do not know if you can return to yours or not. The wardens of reality should have intervened by now. The only possible explanation is that they are constrained not to. The sheer power involved in such boggles the mind." Smit jerked. Hunhow had to be incredibly intelligent. When an artificial hyper intelligent being said _that…_

" _Can_ I help?" Smit asked softly. Rebekah and Mariposa both nodded. "I don't know if I could live with myself if I let humanity die, even if this is not my own world. The old me would have gladly. Maybe even laughed while he watched it happen. I don't like him much."

"Seeing ourselves as we really are is rarely an easy thing." Mariposa said quietly. "Often a good thing, but rarely easy."

"We need the Tenno." Smit said weakly. Both of the female forms nodded again. "I… I guess I should go back?"

"Not yet." Rebekah said sternly. "You feel better, but that is mostly energy fooling your body into thinking it is okay. It isn't. You need time, food and rest."

Whatever Smit was going to say was cut off as a wall slid open and a long thing slid out into view. Two shimmering forms stood by it. A boy and girl, but both had glowing eyes.

"We are ready." The girl said with a nod to Rebekah. Smit looked at the thing as it opened and he saw a chair inside. It looked too small for either woman.

"This is a stasis chair, Smit." Rebekah said with a nod as he stared at the thing. "It is for you. This ship is not safe for humans. We will take you back to earth, but we will protect you as well. There are lot of people who would hurt or kill you simply because you are affiliated with the Emperor. If you are, indeed, the only source of DNA that the Emperor could use, your value is greater than anything else in this system. Wars have been fought over less."

"What do I do?" Smit asked, swallowing hard. "I am ready."

"Brave." The transparent boy said with a somber nod.

"Silly." The girl retorted, but relented when Rebekah glared at her. "Sorry Mom."

"Be nice or I will give you more homework, Falcon." The blue garbed not-quite-human looking female said with a glower.

"No need to be _mean_ , Mom!" Falcon said quickly. "I am nice. I am!" The boy snickered and Smit had to grin at the byplay.

"Mom?" Smit asked as Rebekah bent down to lift him from his chair. She hefted him easily.

"Father told you about my sister." Rebekah said softly as she carried him towards the chair. Smit nodded. "One of the effects of the treatment was to make me bud."

"Bud?" Smit asked, confused. He stared as the see through girl stuck her tongue out at him. "Ah..."

"I assume she means that Sentients reproduce differently than humans." Mariposa said delicately. Rebekah nodded and Mariposa frowned. "How many?"

"Eight." Rebekah lowered Smit down and he felt odd as something lifted him out of her arms and wafted him through the air towards the waiting seat.

"Wow." Mariposa said weakly. "And here I though _Elizabeth_ had it bad."

"Yeah." Rebekah said sourly. "And then give them all powers they do not know how to use for good yet." Mariposa winced and Rebekah relented as her kids both went stony faced. "Good think Sentients don't need sleep."

"They are perhaps a bit less refined than you were at their age." Hunhow said slowly. All eyes went to the Sentient as humor sounded in his tone. "But what is the human phrase? 'Turnabout is fair play'?"

"Father!" Rebekah growled and Smit was grinning as he settled into the seat. Rebekah became serious. "The chair will close up around you, Smit. You will be in the dark for a moment, but then you will see."

"You will see a lot." The boy said quietly. "Try not to look too closely at anything. We can help, but you like being sane, no?"

"I do." Smit said with a groan. He paused as the transparent girl leaned close and kissed his cheek. It felt odd. He felt power flare and he was comforted as metal covered him. He was suddenly in darkness. But then it turned very bright.

 _Close your eyes!_ The girl's voice spoke sharply in his head and Smit did as instructed. _Oh crap! The Transference bindings are activating. That shouldn't be possible. Mom!_

 _Why wasn't that disabled?"_ Rebekah demanded.

 _It_ **was** _!_ Falcon's voice turned horrified. _Mom! She-_

A sultry female laugh was Smit's only warning as something yanked him from his body. It didn't hurt. Indeed, nothing hurt now. He was in warm arms that hugged him close.

"Well, well, well..." The voice was familiar. Natah was amused. "And here I thought I had failed. Now, the apple drops right into my hands. "Your DNA is what the Emperor needs to save humanity? Oh the irony that a puny human boy is the key to destroying the Tenno."

 _Natah?_ Smit asked. _You_ _are_ _sick. You need help._

"You have been talking to my sad sack of a father." The other said sourly. "Such a party pooper he is. I was so close and now? I _finally_ have the means to complete my Sequence. And all I have to do is push a little."

Smit was suddenly falling. He landed on his hands and knees, feeling very odd. He stared around and he was in a large golden room. The floor looked odd, some kind of transparent rock? His body felt wrong, as if it wasn't quite his.

He jerked as a voice screamed from nearby.

" _No!_ " Almira was lying on the floor nearby. Her face held terror as Smit stared at her, realizing she was _bound_ hand and foot. " _Run!_ "

She begged even as firm grip took hold of Smit's arm and he was spun to face a warframe. And not just _any_ warframe.

"Well, well." Frost said slowly.

"What have we _here_?"


	10. Chapter 10

**Actions and reactions**

Smit hurt. Every single fiber of his being hurt as he lay on the floor of the cell he had been tossed into. Frost wasn't just a sadistic scum, he was a master of his horrific craft. No matter how Smit had tried to fight, tried to resist, tried do _anything_ , the warframe clad Tenno had just kept piling pain on him until the boy broke. Then the degradation had begun.

His mind shied away from the horrors, but he knew nightmares would come. Especially when Frost had turned oddly gentle. Eventually, Frost had dropped him to lie on the floor of this cell and all he could do was sob.

"Smit?" Almira's voice was tentative from nearby, but he couldn't raise his head. It hurt to move. It hurt not to move. "Damn him. If I could _just_ get _loose_..." She grunted in effort, but then she sighed. "Damn chains are too strong. He is sadistic, but not stupid. Smit, stay awake! Talk to me. Talk, boy." Almira said savagely.

"Hurts." Smit managed. He tried to raise his head to look at her and a groan escaped him as pain flared. "I... I can't..."

"I know it hurts." Almira said quickly. "I know he... did thing to you that you don't want to think about. I know. I have seen him do it many times. All he does is hurt me and that is bad enough. What he does to people like you is horrific in the extreme. Everyone knows that Tenno can be cruel but he _defines_ the word." Her voice was sick now. "I can't touch you, but I am here. You are not alone."

"Why?" Smit begged as he tried to rise again and fell back, utterly spent. "It wasn't needed. I couldn't fight him. He didn't want anything, ask anything. I can't… I can't..." He stammered incoherently through his tears.

"I know." Almira said sadly. "He hurts people, preferably young boys. He says it makes them strong, but I think it just makes him feel better about himself to torment people who cannot fight back. If it wasn't so horrible, it would be pathetic." She made a sad noise. "Just lie there and recover your strength. I do not know how long it will take for him to come back, it varied when I was his."

"What happened to you?" Smit asked, trying to take his mind off the pain. "They said you ran away."

"Sort of." Almira sighed. "I believed what I had been told, that there was another group who hated the Tenno and what the Tenno did. I didn't think beyond that. They _did_ take me for a bit, but then they said I was weak and tossed me out. Tossed me to Frost actually who brought me here and hurt me. What happened to you?"

Smit started to explain, aware that he had to be under observation, but too hurting to care. Almira made supporting noises when he faltered. When he got to the part about Nyx injecting him, Almira gasped and then she gave a tiny sob.

"I am sorry, Smit." The girl sounded truly apologetic. "Tenno can be cruel, Frost is living proof. But you are not changing?"She sounded confused.

"Hayden did something." Smit admitted and Almira gasped.

"You… _met_...the Emperor." Almira said in slow, disbelieving tones.

"Yeah." Smit chuckled a little and groaned when that hurt too. "Scary, scary, _scary_ being."

"No joke." Almira said with a gulp. "What did he say?"

"He said that once, long ago, humanity was on the verge of a bright future." Smit sighed deeply and coughed. It felt wet. Not a good sign. "They destroyed that future in the name of greed."

"Talia." Almira sounded reverent and sad now. "Yeah. They did."

"He had a plan to… to fix it." Smit raised his head as Almira made a strangled noise. She was staring at him oddly,. Her face was a mask of bruises and he could see blood pooling, but her eyes were clear as she stared at him. "He said he needed me. I… I would help. I don't want humanity to _die!_ " He was crying again as Almira stared. "But now? _This_ is my fate."

"Damn. _Not_ me… This is more important than me." Almira said softly. She bowed her head for a long moment and when she raised it, her eyes were glowing. "Close your eyes."

Smit was too tired to argue. He closed his eyes. Something went 'cling' nearby and then warm arms were holding him as he cried.

"It wasn't me." Almira said slowly, disbelieving. "It should have been me. 'Young pain to fix all wrong'. Pain is my life. Not him. It shouldn't have been _him!_ "

"What we want from life is rarely what we get." A new voice sounded from close at hand. It was neither male nor female. It sounded odd, but Smit was too tired and weak to look as the arms that held him deposited him in another set. "You would have died for the prophecy. You failed this test, but as you say, this is more important than one Tenno's life."

"It should have been _me!_ " Almira protested, hugging Smit gently. "What has _he_ done to deserve this?"

"Deserve has nothing to do with it or we would have killed Frost long ago." The other said in a harsh voice. "I have already done more than I should in aiding you. We will deliberate. Escape if you can or at least, die well."

"Wait!" Almira said sharply. "Can you take the boy?"

"No." The other declared and a hum sounded, followed by a flicker in Smit's vision.

"I should know better." Almira said weakly as she set Smit down on the floor and her hands were gentle as they examined him. "They don't help people."

"Why did they free you?" Smit managed.

"Because Frost will likely kill me when he finds me free." Almira said with a sigh. "This was my test, my sole chance to join their ranks. I failed."

"Nyx tricked you." Smit murmured as Almira's hands eased him. Then something warm covered his nakedness. "Can you escape?"

"I am not leaving you here." Almira said firmly. "Yes, Nyx tricked me." She paused. "How did you know that?"

"The Emperor wasn't happy with her when she took me to see him." Smit said dryly. Almira made a noise of consternation. "He was kind to me, but like I said, he needed me. Not sure why. Something to do with time."

"Time?" Almira echoed. "That makes no sense unless they can go back to stop Talia's assassination..." She gasped as Smit nodded. "No. That is impossible." Smit shrugged and pain erupted behind his neck. He groaned as Almira held him. All he could do was sob. "Easy, easy."

"He will kill you." Smit said weakly after a time.

"Probably." Almira replied. "I find I don't care much. Life is pain. The Tenno taught me that. I am tired of pain, I just wanted to make a difference."

"You did." Smit reassured her. "If you were not here, I would be going mad right about now."

"Madness might be a release from this torment." Almira said and paused as Smit's hands found hers. "Smit..."

"I don't know what you have suffered, but Mag was a good person." Smit heard Almira sob and squeezed her hands as best he could. "You honor your grandmother."

"I try." Almira said in a tiny voice. "I make so many mistakes though."

"So do I." Smit replied. "Let me tell you how I got into this mess. I was angry, so angry that I didn't see an obvious set-up happening..."

* * *

Some time later

Smit and Almira had talked for a time and then Smit had dozed. When he looked around again, Almira was nowhere in sight. Maybe she had left him? He hoped she could escape. He wasn't going to be able to move any time soon. He stared down at his legs. The long tendons on the backs of his ankles had been severed early on in Frost's torments. He wasn't going to run anywhere. The pain was ebbing now and for that, he was grateful. He knew it wouldn't last.

The others, Sentient and Tenno alike, had to be looking for him now, but how long would it take to find him? He didn't kid himself that he would he able to resist when Frost took him again. He had no chance against a warframe. If only he…

Why was his skin crawling?

It felt odd, whatever was happening to him. He felt almost good, which made no sense at all. He could see the many small wounds that Frost had inflicted still raw on his skin and…

'…'

That wasn't his mind! There was something else in his mind! He tried to cry out and couldn't!

 _Hello._ The voice in his mind was mild. A male voice, but not any that Smit knew. _Human. You are hurt._

"Leave me alone!" Smit managed to bite those words out and then his mouth clamped shut. On its own!

 _I am afraid I cannot do that._ The other sounded a bit peeved. _You see, I am inside you and it is not by choice._

 _Great, I am finally going mad._ Smit snarled in his mind. _Its about time. Will I least have fun while I am crazy?_

 _Maybe._ The other said quietly. _Then again, what is fun for one is rarely fun for another. It is all about perception, you see. What has happened to you is not fun._

 _No joke._ Smit sighed in his mind. _So what now?_

 _What do you want?_ The other asked. _Not the Tenno, not the greedy humans, or the oh so insufferably noble Sentients… You. What do_ **you** _want?_

 _I…. I don't know._ Smit admitted. _No one has ever asked me that before. Not since…_ He broke off and gave a tiny sob. _Mom._

 _For what it is worth, you have my condolences, young man._ The other said quietly. _That is not worth much, I am afraid. You see, you have been chosen to do what must be done. You will be the prophet. You will show them the way._

 _Chosen? By who?_ Smit asked as he felt even odder. He stared down at his legs and his eyes went huge as he saw them reform! The severed tendons extended and connected back where they belonged under his startled eyes. Nothing hurt, it just felt very odd.

 _You know the answer to that._ The voice said as pain flared in Smit's head. He was screaming and writhing as agony tore through him. _Pain is the path. You will follow the path. You will seek the enemy and destroy him. You will do what should have been done. They did not believe. They chose to forget. You will remind them of the true fate of the unbeliever._

"What? _Smit?_ " Almira! " _No!_ "

Hands grabbed hold of Smit and held him as his body seemed to expand and then retract. She was humming something in his ear. It sounded odd, but soothing.

"You will not have him!" Almira snapped as power flowed into Smit from the hands that held him. "No matter what else I may be, _I am Tenno_ and I stand against you! Now and _always!_ "

The power that was withing Smit met an _equal_ power flowing from Almira. He was being crushed between the two. The agony piled on him more and more. Then the voice sounded in his head again.

 _Boy. Smit is it?_ _You want the pain to stop._ The other sounded concerned now. _All you have to do is accept me and the pain will stop. Blood of my blood, flesh of my flesh. All this time and the foolish Tenno finally found someone who fit the bill._

 _You…_ Almira's voice was stunned. **You** _did this!_ **You** _corrupted Frost!_

 _It didn't take much._ The voice taunted. _He was corrupt to begin with. He liked pictures. I just gave him a few nudges here and there._ _He likes what he is no_ _w_ _._

 _You… evil…_ Almira seemed to be weakening.

 _Ah, so limited as always, you Tenno._ The other sighed heavily. _You know that I can fix this. All you have to do is let him go. I can go back, let the virus loose in Washington DC. They wanted a weapon, I will give them one._ _Talia needed a demonstration that even apathetic and ignorant Americans could see and understand. A new outbreak would do that nicely._

 _You…_ Almira was straining with effort and the other seemed to be playing with her now.

 _Why do you think your precious Emperor wanted him? Hmmm?_ The other inquired. _He is related to both me and the fool who started this mess through a common ancestor. Funny how a few years makes one man an evil monster and another a president._

 _And if you go back far enough, all of_ **humanity** _is related to each other._ Almira gasped as a new voice interceded. This one was female, strong and confident. _Begone, monster._

A short, sharp scream and the presence that had been pushing Smit faded. Almira's power faded moment after.

"Lady Arbiter… I…" Almira said weakly as something scooped Smit up. Arms? Odd arms.

"You failed the test." The newcomer replied. "But you are right. This is far more important. Come."

The gut twisting churning of a portal sickened Smit and then he was lying on something hard as golden light bore into his eyes. He tried to close them and could not. Something red loomed close in his vision, but he couldn't make it out.

"Blood _may_ call to blood..." The female voice mused. "But you resisted him. Few humans could have done that. Well done."

"Evil." Smit gasped as power flared around him. It hurt, but nowhere near as badly as what Frost had done.

"That he is." The female replied. "Don't move, boy." She warned as something touched Smit on the arm. The same arm that Nyx had injected him with. Then a male voice cursed and other hands were touching his.

"Twice." The male voice sounded angry. "He has been infected _twice_. Once with the normal strain and once with a modified strain. Only the Emperor could have modified the strain this way."

"We all know what the Emperor is capable of." The female said sourly. "Did you really think he helped the boy out of the goodness of his heart?"

"No." The male replied and then he made a soft noise of defeat. "I can force it into remission, but no more. It _will_ come back."

"Okay. Go. Janna needs you." The female said softly. "Almira, your choice ended your trial. But it was _good_ choice. One that would have, should have, killed you. You faced an enemy that _any_ would quail before. An enemy that has killed many Tenno."

"I failed." Almira said in a tiny voice.

"We are measured by our failures, Aspirant Almira." The woman had a smile in her voice. "You did not give up. You did not flee." Her voice tuned louder. "What says the hall?"

A whisper of a word flitted to Smit's ears. 'Worthy'. Almira made a soft noise.

"Go, Aspirant." The woman said in a formal voice. "You have been deemed worthy to face the Trial of Acolyte. If you survive, you will be needed in the dark days coming. If you do not? You were unworthy."

"I _am_ worthy." Almira said with a snarl.

"Then prove it." The other retorted. Something hissed nearby. A door? Then hands were easing Smit onto something that yielded. "Take this one to Indoctrination. Hope will be by in a few minutes to tend his injuries and talk to him."

"Yes, Milady."A male voice said deferentially. Smit felt movement, but when he opened his eyes, they were covered by something. "Sorry, young sir, but the rules are the rules."

"Probably just as well." Smit said heavily. "I doubt I am going to like this. I haven't liked much that happened to me recently."

"Hope will take care of you, young sir." The man reassured him as whatever he was on slid to a stop. "A bump and you will be more comfortable."

He was raised up and slid onto something else. Something very comfortable. Before he could recover his wits, something started to warm underneath him. He sighed as the pain he felt eased a bit.

"I have him."A quiet voice sounded and a muffled acknowledgment came. "Hello. Your name is Smit? Mine is Hope." Warm, wet things started spreading over his arms and legs. Each went numb.

Smit opened his eyes to find an odd helmet in his view. It was… He couldn't quite focus on it. Was it pointed? No. Were those curling things that spread out from either side? No. He couldn't make it out. He did see three points of light down the front of it. Some kind of sensors.

"What is wrong with me?" Smit asked.

"You have been tortured." The hazy form said quietly. "Add to that, you have been infected with a modified strain of the Technocyte virus. You are in shock. We will ease you, but we need to talk to you as well." Now, his head was being wrapped. He felt… numb. Everything was numb now.

"I am not going anywhere." Smit managed to smile with the distinctly weak quip and the other bobbed her head.

"No, you are not." Hope said softly. "Breathe deep for me." She laid something over face and he took a breath and was immediately dizzy. He coughed and Hope clucked. "Come on, boy. You don't want to be awake for this."

"For what?" Smit fought to keep his breaths shallow. Hope shook her head and something slammed into Smit's abdomen. He gasped and the deep reflexive breath drove what air was in his lungs out. He inhaled without thought and was immediately floating. Then he was elsewhere.

He was sitting in a chair in a room with three woman standing before him. All around the room, other forms knelt, these all with the same odd helmet that Hope had worn. All wore blue robes and all had glowing eyes. The one in the middle spoke and her form shifted to a red armored warframe that he did not recognize. It bore a wicked looking scythe and bow on its back. He knew the voice! It was the woman who had helped him, who had stopped the whatever it was from possessing him.

"For your indoctrination into the Arbiters of Hexis." The red armored woman nodded to Smit as he fought for equilibrium. "My enemies call me Stalker."

" _You_ may call me Lady Arbiter Iriana."


	11. Chapter 11

**Changes**

Everything blurred after the woman in red armor spoke to Smit. He tried to focus and could not. He felt very odd. He slept and woke at odd intervals. Once, he woke and he was floating in something. Another time, he was lying on a hard metal table as energy played into his eyes. When he woke again, he was groaning as something forced its way down his throat. Then he was lying curled up inside something that was so snug and warm that he simply sighed and relaxed.

It came as a bit of a shock when he woke and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. He felt odd, but nothing hurt and he was not hearing weird voices in his head, so it was all good. He opened his eyes and relaxed again when the did. He was lying on a bed with his head elevated and he was wearing a...What the _hell_ was he _wearing_?

There was an odd bulky _thing_ over his chest that extended from his neck to his hips. It looked _wrong_. He tried to reach up to touch it and his hands wouldn't move. He looked at what of his body he could see and it was wrapped in something odd, white and flimsy looking, but it did not give when he poked it on his palm with an experimental finger.

"You are strapped down, Smit. Don't try to move." Hope's voice came from nearby and he tried to turn his head, but it wouldn't move either. "We don't have a choice, the Emperor orders and we obey, but this is _so_ wrong."

"Hold tight to those feelings, Hope." The voice of the Lady Arbiter came from nearby. Smit tried to look that way but now something clear was lowering over his face. "You need the idealism to do your job. If you start seeing such things as _right_ instead of _wrong_ but _needed_ , then you cannot do your job anymore."

"What are you doing to me?" Smit asked. He was surprised when his voice worked. He was even more surprised when his voice came out level, if odd sounding. Too high pitched?

"We have healed your injuries and we will not hurt you further." Hope said quietly as a hand found his. "I have an odd question. One you will find shocking." The hand uncurled his fist and eased it down, patting it as it did so.

"What is one _more_ shock?" Smit quipped and the hand gave his a squeeze. "What do you want to know?"

"If you were a girl, what would you want to be called?" This was from the Lady Arbiter who sounded sad.

"A _girl_?" Smit asked softly. "I don't understand."

"I know." Hope squeezed his hand again and this time, warmth spread from that squeeze to suffuse every pore of his body. Something was hissing into his nostrils now and he felt small shocks on his scalp. "Think about it."

Smit gasped as something happened and then soothing warmth poured into his brain. He was drowning in it but it wasn't bad and…

* * *

Timsa woke with a start and stared up at her mistress in alarm. _The Lady Arbiter_ was standing behind Hope! "What have I done?" She begged. "Tell me I haven't disgraced the Arbiters!"

"It is all right, Timsa." Hope released the girl's restraints quickly and efficiently. Timsa did not move, she knew that movement would be inefficient as well as futile. "We have healed your injuries, but you are going to feel a bit off for some time."

"Injuries?" Timsa asked, alarmed. "What did I do? I don't remember!"

"It was not your fault, girl." The Lady Arbiter said firmly. "The trauma was so severe that we had to partially wipe your mind." Timsa stared at the red armored leader of the Arbiters of Hexis, her jaw falling.

"What did I _do?_ " Timsa begged as Hope helped her sit up. Her body felt both right and wrong. It looked right to her eyes. She was hardly body shy after years of living as a servant to the Arbiters. But why did it look wrong? It wasn't. Same chest, same arms, same legs. Everything was the same. Why was it not?

"You did nothing." The Lady Arbiter repeated with a hint of bite this time. "Frost hurt you." Timsa inhaled in shock and the Lady Arbiter nodded. "We recovered you from him with Almira."

"Is..." Timsa's head hurt and Hope laid a hand on it. The pain faded. Timsa smiled at her boss, but it was uncertain. "Did Almira pass her test?"

"No, but there were extenuating circumstances." The Lady Arbiter nodded to the pair and left the room. Timsa stared after her, confused.

"What?" Timsa asked, utterly confused as Hope held out a bodysuit for her to put on. She couldn't help but notice her body was _covered_ in the small red marks of scar issue healed with the Arbiter's advanced medical tech. To waste such on a _human_? Something was very wrong here, but Timsa could not pull it to mind. "Am I late for work?" She asked Hope who chuckled. "Milady?" Timsa asked a bit hesitantly.

"Always on about work." Hope shook her head. "No. Your position is secure, girl. Almira will need help when she wakes up." She paused and corrected herself grimly. " _If_ she wakes up, but I have a good feeling about that one. She is tough and smart."

Timsa fumbled with the jumpsuit, her face flaming. Hope shook her head and helped the girl dress. Her fingers were not working quite right. Something was missing, but she couldn't put that to mind either. Finally, Hope finished helping Timsa with her boots and stood back to let the girl rise on her own, a small courtesy that Timsa appreciated. The bodysuit fit well, but it felt wrong to Timsa. She shook her head and focused on what she knew. She bowed to Hope.

"Thank you for your care, Attendant Hope." Timsa said formally.

"Servant Timsa, you have a meal, then sleep training to make up what you missed." Hope replied formally. "Until Almira finishes her Trial, you are off status. You will be seconded to her if she succeeds as her personal servant."

"I am honored, but..." Timsa said slowly. "If I am injured, then I am a suboptimal choice for such."

"I personally want you in the Infirmary until such time as I am sure you took no lasting hurts." Hope had a frown in her voice now. "I was overruled."

"I see." Timsa had no business inquiring why she had been posted to such a prestigious position. Personal servant to an Acolyte of Hexis? Wow. Talk about promotions. The last she remembered, she had been talking to… to… Her thoughts broke off and Hope looked at her.

"Problem?" The helmeted woman asked.

"I don't know, Attendant." Timsa replied. "I cannot remember what I doing last, but I don't think I was working." She winced. The punishments for slaking off were strict. More than one servant had died being punished, but that was the price one paid to serve Justice. As jobs went it wasn't close to the worst Timsa knew of. She blinked, seeing hulking armored forms that she did not know. But when she blinked again, they were gone and Hope was eyeing her warily. She bowed to Hope again. "Apologies, Attendant. I am ready to get on with my day."

"Good girl." Hope had a smile in her voice now as she took hold of Timsa's arm and led the girl to a door that opened for them. It was wrong, but she felt better when the Attendant touched her. Timsa stumbled a little, but the attendant made no comment as she steadied the girl.

The next room had was bare except for a chair that looked straight out of a medical ward and a table. A meal tray sat on the table and the chair stood waiting. Timsa looked from one to the other and then at the attendant.

"You need sustenance." Hope said quietly and Timsa nodded, moving to the table.

The girl paused, looking at Hope, since there was only one set of food. Hope just waved for her to eat. For a moment, Timsa felt confusion rise as she didn't recognize the food, but when she picked it up, she found it was a sandwich in an odd wrapper. She hadn't thought herself hungry, but in moments, the sandwich was gone and her stomach was content. She sat down in the chair and Hope moved to start connecting things. The usual wrist and ankle restraints were joined by chest and neck straps. Timsa did not resist even when Hope pulled a strap across her forehead tighter than was needed. It was uncommon for people to lash out while in the grip of sleep learning, but it was known to happen occasionally, so Timsa was not about to question the thoroughness of the attendant.

The helmet went around her head and the displays on the inside of the opaque visor electrodes started sizzling next to her scalp. Far from uncomfortable, Timsa relaxed as the energy pulses eased her tension. The sub-harmonic whispers also started and she slumped in her restraints, her breathing evening as her fear abated. She knew this routine. The Arbiters did not coddle their employees. Time was precious after all, especially for humans who only had so long to live. Sleep learning was a wonderful way to teach things in what for most humans would be wasted time.

"Ready?" Attendant Hope asked gently. Timsa would have nodded but her head wouldn't move.

"I am ready, Attendant." Timsa said quietly and then she gasped as the Attendant keyed for the mild sedative that would send her to slumber and her mind slowly sank into…

Something was wrong!

She wasn't asleep! She couldn't move, couldn't think very well, but she was awake!

"What have you _done?_ " A male voice that Timsa did not know spoke up from nearby. He was familiar, but not. "This was _not_ what I ordered!"

"You wanted the subject hidden." That was the Lady Arbiter. "The subject is hidden. Do not argue my methods until they don't work."

"I give you a lot of leeway." The male snapped. "Do not make me regret that, Arbiter. We needed the _boy_. What have you done?"

"The mind that arrived here is asleep. A cover identity is in place and we will work to keep the cover secure." The Arbiter said mildly. "This body is a clone and we did not hurt it. It felt no pain from the alterations. This is not the actual one you asked us to ward despite our wishes not to get involved. We don't know where the real one is."

"How did he wind up with _Frost_?" The other asked dubiously. "Those insufferable do-gooders wouldn't have done that. Not in a _million_ years."

"He remembers being put into a place of safety and being snatched from it by the mad Sentient." The Lady Arbiter replied. "We sifted his mind thoroughly. He does not know where his real body is."

"And this body is useless for our purposes." The male said slowly.

"So you say." The Arbiter replied. "We can use this being. Or we can hide this being."

"Are you sure the other mind is intact?" The male asked.

"Do you want to involve Nyx in this?" The Arbiter asked. Something non-verbal must have passed between them because she scoffed. "I didn't think so."

"Mag is asking about her granddaughter." The man said softly. "But that being will no longer exist if she passes your trial."

"No." The Arbiter said firmly. "One the trial is done, she will cut all ties ceremonially. She must to join our ranks. This one… Might be a candidate. The mind resisted the Ancient Enemy with Almira's help." She made a noise of disgust. "The mad sentient activated the virus in this body and the Ancient Enemy woke. We have forced it into remission for now, but it will return. This was the best way to hide this form. Everyone who knows about this is looking for a human boy. Not a human girl."

"That is an excellent point." The male said with a sigh. "I will focus on the Sentients. They must have the body. We need the DNA. The machine is ready and powered."

"Orders?" Hope asked quietly.

For a long moment, there was no reply, then the man spoke again.

"Continue the programming." The man said heavily. "Even if it is affecting the mind of the primary subject, that may be to our benefit. Keep her under surveillance and _here_. We will find the body and reunite the mind with it. If the clone survives that? You may have her."

"That won't be a problem, Emperor." The Lady Arbiter replied. Then she heaved a sigh. "Hope?"

"This is _wrong_ , Lady Arbiter!" Hope was crying as Timsa felt something oddly solid start to crowd around her mind. It comforted her, spoke to her, eased her. "There are two minds, but they are intertwined. I honestly don't know if I can alter one without altering the other."

"Timsa will be obedient, where Smit might have resisted at a bad time." The Arbiter had a frown in her voice. "Can you continue?"

"Who else can do this?" Hope snapped and then gasped. "No, I didn't mean that, Lady!"

"You are stressed, Hope, we all are." The Lady Arbiter said heavily. "No one knows what will happen if the Emperor's plan succeeds. We are his, body and soul, but we do remember what it was to be free. I had hoped Mishka would get away, but our enemies found her and made the Emperor take notice of her."

"I..." Hope gave a sob. "I will do what I can, Lady Arbiter. We have done the major changes already, but she has seen oddities. She will continue to see differences. Her body reacts differently now due to the skeletal alterations. If _his_ mind wakes in _this_ body..." She broke off.

"He will go mad." The Lady Arbiter finished the thought. "Cosmetic alterations wouldn't have been enough to hide from Tenno scrutiny. He needed to _vanish_. Do your best. It is all I can ask."

"I… _Lady_..." Hope bawled. "It hurts to touch this mind!"

"I know." The other said kindly as light shot through Timsa's mind and started to carry her away. "I know."

* * *

Later

Timsa woke on an unfamiliar bed, but her trained responses carried her through as she checked herself for status and then rose to go to work. Almira lay on another bed, her face untroubled in sleep. A quick set of checks showed her mistress to be resting comfortable. She had passed her trial. Timsa smiled as she started break as in the food preparation area and then began her stretches.

Her body _still_ did not react as it should have and she frowned a little as she stretched. She would need to go see Hope again, possibly have more physical therapy. She hated to admit weakness, but Hope was good about such things, not as merciless as many of the Arbiters were. Her job was to nurture, to tend, to be a kind soul in the midst of an unkind world. It was hard job, one that Timsa did not envy.

A gasp from nearby had Timsa spinning in place. Almira was awake and staring at her.

"Lady." Timsa bowed formally. "I am Timsa. I am delegated to be your servant." Almira just stared at her for a long moment and Timsa felt faint.

"Timsa." The newest Acolyte of the Arbiters said slowly. "I see."

"Are you well. Lady?" The servant asked, worried. She seemed to remember horror stories among the servants of delayed madness from the trial that showed up after it was over. Sometimes to the detriment of the servants. Hence why humans were used for such. _They_ were easy to replace.

"I am well." The Acolyte sat up and smiled at Timsa. "I am a bit disconcerted. The trial was unpleasant."

"Lady." Timsa said weakly. "I am not cleared for such."

"Yes, you are." The Acolyte's hand shot out to grab Timsa's arm and Timsa froze as energy started to cascade around them both.

"Lady?" Timsa asked, frightened.

"Do not be afraid." The Lady said firmly as the energy around her sparked into a portal. Dimly, Timsa heard alarms start to sound, but then they were elsewhere. They stood in an odd circular room. It seemed to be made of metal. "We need help. The boy has been altered both physically and mentally. His mind feels wrong."

 _What have they done?_ A soft, scared voice sounded from nearby and Timsa's eyes went huge as a tiny form approached. _Are they insane?_

"I..." Timsa swallowed hard as the small warframe was joined by others. All tiny warframes. "No!" She begged as the small Nyx warframe reached out to her.

 _Do not fear._ The Nyx was half the size of a regular warframe. _Fear throws off everything and it will lead the hunters to us. You were indoctrinated. Focus on your oath. I will break the bonds that hold you._

Timsa felt a mind wrap around hers. It was trying to be gentle, but it hurt. It hurt a lot. She screamed and would have fallen, except the Acolyte held her up.

"Ona, stop! You will kill her!" A firm female voice said sharply from nearby as a black Banshee warframe stepped into view. She was shaking her head as the tiny Nyx withdrew. She reached out to take hold of Timsa's hands as the girl sobbed.

"They wanted to hide you." The Banshee said softly. "And they did. They… Damn it. Damn _him_ and _them_." She looked at the Acolyte. "You broke your cover."

"They know, Lady Serene." The Acolyte said firmly. Timsa jerked. She knew that name! "In my trial I faced you." The black Banshee jerked back. "They had to be watching to run it, so they have to know I know you. I… I am sorry."

"It is all right, Almira." The Banshee seemed to wilt, no...the occupant was stepping out of it. "I will call you that this one last time. I tried."

"Lady Serene, no." The small Nyx reached for the Tenno who shook her head.

"I never betrayed the Arbiters, but they won't see it that way." Serene said with a sigh as her warframe fell to the ground and started to _melt_. She winced as it did.

"Can you help this one?" The Acolyte begged as she held Timsa's trembling form.

"I can." Serene smiled as she slowly took Timsa's shaking hands in her own. "Oh, what a _mess_. Don't be afraid, girl. I won't hurt you." Her hands shimmered as energy started to seep into Timsa. It felt odd, but good.

"No." Timsa begged. "Don't. Traitor..."

"From one point of view, yes I am." Serene said mildly as she worked. "Form another? I just wanted my kid back."

"Stop!" A familiar voice heralded Hope appearing nearby. _She_ wore a black Banshee warframe! "What? _Serene_?"

"I might have known that evil bitch would replace _me_ with _you_." Serene said sourly as she turned Timsa so the girl was between her and the newly come Banshee.

"Hello Janet."


	12. Chapter 12

**Bouncing**

Timsa did not move as Hope drew her weapon. A standard Telos Boltor, a weapon designed both to be intimidating as hell and ruthlessly efficient. The Arbiters of Hexis in a skeletal nutshell. It wasn't a question whether or not Hope would fire. It was a question how many bolts would hit Timsa. The Arbiters were all about order and justice. Traitors were a particular thorn to them, one to be ruthlessly pulled out and burned at the root. Hope _would_ fire and Timsa _would_ die if she was in the way. She was surreptitiously easing her muscles in preparation of dropping herself out of the traitor's hands when every muscle locked up.

 _Oh no, you don't._ A throaty female voice purred in Timsa's ear. Or her mind. It didn't seem audible and no one else reacted. It wasn't anyone present. Hope and Serene were glaring at each other and Almira stood frozen along with the small warframes, some of whom now help pistols in both hands like rifles. _I have spent too much time setting this up for some stuck up human to foil it now. I get to watch the Tenno start destroying themselves with this one small push._ _I should have brought popcorn!_

 _Who?_ Timsa managed to growl that in her mind even as the weapon in Hope's hands flashed. Timsa was immediately catapulted into darkness even as she heard a scream start. Almira.

 _Don't worry, my dear._ The female voice cackled from nowhere as Timsa floated in darkness. _You are not dead._ _They are all going to try so very hard to save you and I will savor their despair when they fail._

 _Leave her alone._ The words were cold, hard and matter of fact. Almira? But _how?_

 _What?_ The other female stopped laughing as something took hold of Timsa's mind and hugged her tight. _No! Go away, you stupid Tenno! You will ruin everything!_

 _Good._ Almira said savagely as the world shifted around Timsa and she found herself lying on a cold metal floor. She was bleeding but nothing hurt. Not a good sign. Almira held her and screamed.

"HELP!"

There was a bustle of activity around Timsa, most of it blurry. A red hot poker slammed into the right side of her chest and she screamed as agony tore through her.

 _She is mine!_ The irate female voice in Timsa's head snarled, but other voices pushed her back, none of which made any sense to Timsa. She was fading now. Dying. Everything went away.

Then it came back, but different.

Timsa was sitting in something. She was comfortable. The chair was perfectly sized to her. The cushions were comfortable. She couldn't see, but she didn't mind. She simply savored the feeling of warmth and the soothing energy that eased taut muscles. She couldn't see anything, but that didn't seem to matter. She felt a tug and she was too relaxed to fight it as it pulled her right out of her body. She was suddenly lying on something soft as a spoon found her lips. Her entire body was wrapped in something that crinkled. She even felt it on her head. She couldn't move.

"Eat." A gentle female voice commanded and she did as instructed. The liquid in the spoon tasted heavenly. She opened her eyes and froze. The woman sitting in front of her was impossible. She wore a golden gown and a crown that was glowing faintly. Timsa swallowed the liquid and it soothed muscles that she hadn't known were hurting. Her throat hurt, her chest hurt. _Everything_ hurt.

"Am I dead?" Timsa managed after she had swallowed.

"No dear. Close, but not quite." The woman held out another spoonful. Timsa eyed the spoon suspiciously. It wasn't liquid, she realized, but golden energy of some kind. "Come on, girl. You need this. You need it badly."

"What are you doing to me?" Timsa said slowly, trying to shy away from the woman. She couldn't move.

"Nourishing your vital energy before it depletes entirely." The woman said with a nod. "Your body failed, but your mind was saved."

"I knew she was going to shoot." Timsa said slowly. "The Arbiters hate Serene."

"She hunts and kills their Acolytes." The golden gowned woman replied with a shrug. "She has hurt the Lady Arbiter more than once."

"There was another. She kept me from dodging when Hope opened fire." Timsa said weakly.

"Yes." The other still hadn't introduced herself. That had to be intentional. "That one is mad and she is bent on destroying the Tenno. If she has managed to sever the Emperor's hold on the Arbiters, then she may very have succeeded this time." Timsa inhaled in shock and fear, but the woman shook her head. "Not your concern, dear. Eat." She commanded as she held out another spoonful.

"Why?" Timsa asked as she did as instructed. "I am no one special. I am just a servant."

"No, that is a cover identity. A smart plan, all told. Lots of people are looking for you now with all sorts of intentions, some good, some bad." The woman frowned. "That said, what the Arbiters did was excessive. They could have simply put you in a dress and hid you in their young apprentices. None of them would have talked. No, this someone's plot. The Lady Arbiters? The madwoman's? Someone else's? The Emperor will ferret out the truth. Right now, you need to heal."

"But if I died..." Timsa said weakly. The other held out another spoonful and Timsa cleaned it dutifully. "You brought me back?"

"I didn't." The woman replied. "Others did."

"But I am only human." Timsa said with a snarl of exasperation. "Why focus so much effort on me?" She slumped as the woman held out another spoonful. She eyed it but did not quibble otherwise. It tasted remarkably tasteless.

"The being you came from has a very select pattern of DNA." The other said a moment or two after Timsa cleaned the spoon again. "One that closely matches a fairly significant historic figure. You are a direct descendant."

"And?" Timsa asked. She frowned as the woman held out another spoon to her. She wasn't hungry now and her pains had faded.

"And we are going to use you to fix something bad that happened a long time ago." The other said with a nod as she held the spoon out. "Eat."

"I am full." Timsa said slowly, suddenly aware that she was helpless here. But she was an Arbiter. She would not yield. She glared the woman who frowned but nodded.

"Okay, then I guess it is time." The woman stepped back and a warframe appeared in Timsa's vision. The girl felt her muscles lock up as Nyx stepped up and touched her forehead.

Nothing seemed to happen and Timsa relaxed. Too soon, a lightning thrust tore into her mind and she screamed as…

 _She_ was Timsa, a dutiful servant of the Arbiters.

 _He_ was Smit, orphan and angry young man.

 _She_ was educated in by the Arbiters from an early age.

 _He_ was self taught for the most part.

 _She_ had been fed, clothed and housed if not palatially, then comfortably.

 _He_ had never known where he was going to sleep next. Sewers, old cabinets, broken open artifacts of an ancient age, anywhere he could find to hide.

 _She_ knew pain, fear and humiliation as part of knowing her place as a human serving Tenno.

 _He_ watched clones tear his world apart and then threaten him with a grisly death for daring to fight those who would exterminate him and his kind.

 _She_ was…

 _He_ was…

 _They_ were...

She/he screamed as the minds that comprised them both merged into one. Other minds screamed with them. The female that had forced Timsa to stand there and be shot. The male voice that had taunted Smit and tried to take him over. Both screamed in agony as Nyx's raw power scalded them as it molded the body under her hand. Both faded into silence as swiftly as they had sounded.

 _I am sorry._ Nyx said into the mind as it sobbed. _There is no other way. Hayden is too powerful. I could not disobey until now._ _I injected you with the virus and it was wrong of me. I had forgotten. For so long, I had forgotten._ What was cradled in her other hand? The being's eyes were drawn by themselves to see a small mass of metal. Were those _spoons_? They looked mashed. _All of what I have done seemed right. But now? Looking at through other eyes, I lost my way long ago. We all did. Beware._ She warned the other. _You have power now as well as a certain amount of knowledge. That makes you useful and dangerous in equal measure. I cannot help you. I want to, in memory of my sister who I just destroyed._

 _Mag?_ The mind that was morphing under her tight control asked and she made a noise of affirmation. _Why?_

 _I did not intend it. I knew she was suicidal, and in my arrogance, I forgot just how powerful a mind she had. She resisted at a very bad time. I couldn't stop her from turning my power so that it immolated her._ Nyx said quietly. _Here and now, I can grieve for my best friend. I can be the woman I was once, so long ago. As soon as I let go, I will have to be the evil woman I have become. For now? In memory of Mag…_ Her mind pulled the now coalescing form into a hug and held it as Smit's body appeared out of the amorphous mass. _I can cry_ _and there are things you need to know_ _..._

Smit's tears joined with hers as she started to speak.

* * *

He woke, aware of scrutiny. He lay on metal. He knew without looking that his body was clad in a Tenno style bodysuit. Through slitted eyes, he watched as Nyx retreated from the circle of Tenno in warframes and Sentients that surrounded him.

"Who are you?" Hunhow asked. The beings eyes found the massive Sentient hovering by one wall. When they looked another direction, they found the Emperor against the far wall.

"I don't know." The being said as he sat up slowly. "I was Smit. I was Timsa. Now? I don't know." He admitted. "Timsa's body died." Not a question.

"There was nothing we could do." Rebekah's voice pulled eyes to where she stood, half hidden by Hunhow's massive bulk. "There was too much damage."

"That was a clone." The Emperor spoke up. "One made by the mad Sentient."

"She dropped the clone off with Frost who did what he does." The being looked, but did not see Frost in the circle. Good thing. He didn't know how he would react to that. "Almira pulled the clone out of there and took it to the Arbiters."

"Yes." The Emperor said slowly. "And then?"

"The Arbiters hid the clone, altered its body and did something to my mind." The being said slowly. "I _was_ Timsa. Did she ever exist? Before me?" He asked the Emperor who shrugged.

"Does it matter now?" The Emperor asked.

"It matters to me if an innocent died for me." The sitting being said with a frown.

"No one goes to the Arbiters an innocent." Almira stepped into his view. "But for what it is worth? No. Hope created the identity out of whole cloth. The girl did not exist before the identity was created for you."

"Good." The being on the floor nodded to Almira. "We have all been manipulated. By Natah, by Serene, by Nyx, even by Mag." He looked at the Emperor whose face was closed up. "I am honestly curious about something though. Why do you need my DNA?"

"I told you." The Emperor said with a small frown. "You are a match for someone who was there."

"Correct me if I am wrong." The being on the floor sat up slowly. There were far too many weapons and beings that _were_ weapons in the room to do anything else. "But weren't _you_ there?"

"This body has been replaced several times." Hayden said mildly. "I have tried. The link won't work."

"And if _you_ go and spread a Technocyte outbreak in the middle of your chief enemy's camp, the world would rise up against the Tenno. If a human did it? No big deal. Just humans being humans and the Tenno are heroes for stopping it. I wondered why the Ancient Enemy picked _me_ off all people to possess. Then I heard someone say I had been infected with a modified strain. Now, who could or would modify the Technocyte virus?" The being said softly. Hayden just looked at him but every Sentient in the room seemed to still. Rebekah stared from the sitting being to Hayden and back, her mouth set in a grim line. "That is what Natah meant. She said I would be the tool that would break the Tenno. If it were proven that a _Tenno_ had done such? That would not end well for the Tenno _or_ humanity. No." The being rose to his feet slowly. "I won't."

"Won't what?" Hayden asked warily.

"Destroy humanity." The unnamed being looked at Rebekah and spoke evenly. "She can hear me?" The not-human woman nodded and he spoke again. "Natah, I am not angry with you. You are what you are. But I do have to thank you. You made me see what _I_ am. Your opponent. You will not destroy humanity _or_ the Tenno if I can stop it and I _can_."

A strangled scream of rage came from Rebekah, but then her mouth shut tight. She shook her head but remained silent. The unnamed being shook his head as he looked around the room.

"This is the focus, is it not?" He asked. Hayden nodded. "So I just… what?" In answer a column of bright golden light tore down from the ceiling next to him. He stared at it and then at the ring of Tenno and Sentients around him. "Efficient."

"Will you go?" Hayden asked slowly.

"Yes." The unnamed being said but them raised his hand as Hayden's face relaxed. "But not on your terms. I will not infect humanity. Any of it. I stand against the Ancient Enemy of the Tenno as Almira did for me." He looked around and found Almira almost cowering by one wall, obviously trying hard to avoid notice from any of the incredibly powerful beings in the room. "Almira, I need something from you."

"Me?" To her credit, Almira did not flinch as every gaze landed on her. She stepped forward to the circle. "What can I do for you?"

"Your grandmother loved you very much and she taught you the Code as it was originally." He held out a hand to Almira. "I need a teacher."

"What?" The exclamation swept the room. Almira's eyes held shock, but her face was remote otherwise.

"I am changing, Almira." He pleaded. "I can feel it within me. I do not wish to be a monster. Help me, please?"

"I cannot cross the circle." Almira said weakly.

"Your grandmother was there." The male said firmly as he turned to Hunhow. "Is her DNA pure or not?"

"No one has checked." The Sentient turned to regard Hayden whose face was a mask. "Odd that."

"Not odd at all." The changing human held his hand out to Almira. "You see, Tenno cannot be involved in this. Saving Talia is one thing. Letting _Mezner_ loose in Washington DC is _another_."

At that, _everyone_ in the room went totally still. Everyone was eyeing Hayden who did not move.

"How do you know that name?" Hayden asked softly.

"Because it is mine." The other replied and the tension in the room seemed to skyrocket. " _He_ was my ancestor. _He_ was who you wanted a descendant from. Because if _he_ did it, well, _he_ was insane. Just look at what happened in Lasria."

"How do you know about that?" Hayden was tense now.

"Because _I_ told him." Nyx said flatly. "Enough is enough, Hayden. Almira, step across now." Power flared in front of Almira and a hole appeared in nothing in front of her. Before she could realize what was happening, the man inside the circle had grabbed her and pulled her in. It was a wonder she did not recoil or lash out, a testament to how shaken she was.

" _NO!_ " Hayden shouted, his control undone by what had just happened. "You cannot do that!"

"She is not yours." The man declared. "She is my teacher, and _you_ can fuck off."

"Nyx!" Hayden said sharply. "Take control of her. Get her out of there!"

"I can't." The Tenno female was wilting. "I used up almost every ounce of my power to make the hole for her to cross. Good luck girl, boy. I hope… I hope I never see you again." She joked weakly as Hayden growled at her.

" _NYX!_ " Hayden roared as Almira stared at the man in front of her.

"What do I call you?" Almira asked.

"Call me Smith." The man said with grin. "I hear it is a fairly common name in that time. Just a step and then I have a lot to learn."

"Good luck." Hunhow said as the Sentients started vanishing.

Smith could feel Almira's fear and confusion. It matched his own as he turned to the raging column of energy. He held her hand as he took a step towards it. She didn't move and he turned to look at her.

"They won't know me," Almira said softly. Smith shook his head. "They will think I am a monster or an enemy agent."

"No." Smith promised. "They won't."

"How can you be so sure?" Almira asked, her gaze still on the raging inferno in front of them.

"Because I have it on fairly good authority that the prophecy hasn't been fulfilled just yet." Smith said quietly. Almira inhaled and then nodded slowly. "Not that prophecies make any sense."

"We are Tenno." Almira said with smile. " _Sense_ need not apply."

They stepped together into the beam of light and vanished.


	13. Chapter 13

**Arrival**

Time seemed to have no meaning. That made sense, actually. Traveling in time was not like traveling in space. It wasn't something that people did regularly. something that had been experimented with and perfected. Smith and Almira had no frames of reference, so they focused on each other instead of the surroundings which consisted of the beam of energy they stood in. Stepping out of it was not an option that other of them wanted to try, so instead, they talked.

Smith tried to be gentle as he broke the news of Mag's passing to Almira. Then he held her as she cried tears that she never would have shed elsewhere. For her part, Almira tried to explain the Tenno Code to Smith, but both knew it would take far longer for him to understand more than the basics.

It seemed like forever as Smith held Almira's hand and they stood inside the beam of energy. But then it abruptly ended and both stared out across a landscape of wonder. Smith had known a hidden colony, buried underground and then had seen the Plains on Earth, the poisoned, ravaged landscape left from the Old War. Almira had seen far more in her training, but neither had seen anything like this.

They had arrived in darkness. The moon was up and it was different from what Smith remembered seeing in the sky of the Plains. Not as golden. They stood in the shadow on a small obelisk. It wasn't very large at all by the standards of architecture that Smith had seen ruined on the plains. But it also seemed to have no tech at all. It was white and stretched up quite a ways. But that paled beside what else they saw as they looked around. A human _city_ sprawled out in front of them. Something not seen by Smith's world since Orokin fell, and unlike any Orokin city Smith had ever heard of, _this_ city stank. Literally. It was lit up brightly which bothered Smith until he realized that no one was going to attack it. The Grineer did not exist here. Almira was looking around, a blank look on her face as Smith focused on the job at hand.

"We need to find Talia and warn her." Smith focused on the job. "And we need to warn the Tenno about what was planned from me. They can deal with me as they will once Talia is safe."

"He really put the Ancient Enemy in you." Almira said weakly. Smith nodded. "I knew the Emperor was not benevolent, but _geez_!" She shook her head. "I didn't expect to survive that. Thank you."

"You are welcome." Smith was still perusing the landscape and paused as he saw flashing lights approaching where he and Almira stood. "Um, I don't suppose you speak the language?"

"What?" Almira paused and then made a face as she too saw the lights approaching. "No. And we are kind of conspicuous."

Smith had to nod at that. Both wore the formfitting bodysuits that Tenno preferred. They would not fit in with any conceivable human populace in this time. _If_ they were even in the proper time.

"We cannot let human authorities interrogate us." Smith said softly as he started towards a fence he could see in the distance. "We certainly cannot let them identify us. We won't be in any databases. You are Tenno and I am infected. If this _is_ Washington DC, then this is the center of anti-Tenno and anti-Orokin sentiment of this time."

"True." Almira frowned as she looked at the fence. It was solidly built and had odd things attached to the top. "That fence is electrified. We are not getting out over that and we have no time to dig under it." She turned to scrutinize the approaching lights and winced. "Now a flying machine is approaching as well."

"I don't know anything about the authorities of this time." Smith admitted. "Nyx didn't have a lot of time to explain anything. She didn't remember where Talia was when she was killed. Just in the city."

"We don't even know if it has happened yet." Almira shook her head as the lights resolved into two ground vehicles approaching swiftly. They were loud. Not any kind of tech Smith was familiar with. The flying machine was circling the area. It too was loud. It was only a matter of time before they were seen and if the pilots had scanners, the pair had likely already been detected.

"If it had happened, we would know." Smith said quietly. "You of all people know what angry Tenno leave in their wake."

"What do we do?" Almira asked, fear rising. "We cannot escape and we cannot let them take us."

"No." Smith said slowly. "We cannot let them think we are Tenno. Take off your hood." Almira stared at him as he did the same, exposing his face. Her mouth was set in a quizzical line as she did likewise, exposing dark skin and white hair. "Do you trust me?"

"What kind of a question-?" Almira started and then gave a squeal as Smith embraced her. "Wha-?"

"Don't move! We look young enough to pass for human teenagers and most of the ones I knew did dumb stuff." Smith said sharply as a spotlight came on from above, highlighting both of them. He shaded his face with his hand as he looked up. Barked orders came over some kind of loudspeaker, but he did not understand the words. "Joy. Not a language I know."

"I think that is English." Almira said softly. "So we are probably in the right place. It is very different dialect from what I studied, but my teachers always warned that language shifted over time and it had been a long time since...well..."

"What did they say?" Smith asked. "Did you understand it?"

"Not entirely." Almira said with a frown. "But the gist was 'Don't move'. That is pretty universal." She shook her head. "They will pin us here until the ground forces arrive. We cannot take down the flying machine without weapons and it is almost certainly armed."

"We do _not_ want to fight _anyone_." Smith said sternly. "We are not here to fight. We are here to warn. If my blood gets spilled, you need to warn anyone and _everyone_ about the threat. These people have never dealt with a Technocyte outbreak from what I understand."

"They did." Almira said weakly. "But the reports were very vague. I didn't study any of that in detail."

"You were more focused on staying alive." Smith said as lights swept across them from the ground and a pair of hulking forms stepped forward. The humans wore light body armor and sidearms, but nether had their pistols in hand. One was smaller than the other and both postures looked tense. "Uh… We come in peace?"

The larger form barked something at Smith who frowned and shook his head slowly. He didn't understand the words. He released Almira and raised his hands slowly to show they were empty. Almira did the same and both forms relaxed a little more.

"They thought we were armed." Smith said softly. "Are they truly so paranoid as to assume everyone is armed and hostile?"

"They are probably security forces." Almira replied. "If so? Paranoia is the job."

The larger form stepped into clear view as the lights from above clicked off. The face under the helmet was male and stern. The armor he wore was pitiful looking to Smith, but probably good enough against the weapons of the time period. He said something and Smith shook his head.

"I do not understand your words." Smith said quietly. He did not move as the man's face turned nasty shade of red. The man's hand came up with something that had to be a weapon and he barked an order. Smith frowned. "I do not understand."

"You speak _Latin_?" The other form asked, incredulous. Smith stare a her? Yes, this one was female. "What the hell? He said 'On the ground!' _Do it_ before Officer Simmons get any angrier."

"Oh, thank god!" Smith said as he all but fell to the ground. "I wasn't sure if I could make myself understood at _all_. The last thing I want to do is fight security forces."

"You are speaking a very strange dialect." The woman had a frown in her voice. She said something in her language and the angry man paused, his face working. They spoke back and forth, obviously confused or angry. Finally, the woman spoke again. "What are you doing here? This place is off limits."

"I..." Smith paused as the Simmons person barked at Almira who hit the ground nearby without prompting. "I don't know what I can say."

"What?" The woman stepped forward and she was smaller than the other human, but she looked muscular and fit. "Kid, you are facing criminal trespass charges at the very least and this is _federal_ land. The judges don't care what you do on your off time, just if you do not do it where the Administration will take notice."

"What is your rank, Officer?" Almira asked quietly as rough hands started to search Smith. They seemed fairly professional, no wasted movement.

"What?" The woman demanded, her tone suddenly turning worried. "Why?"

"Because we have a major political problem and a possible haz-mat situation." Almira said softly. The woman barked something in her language and the hands retreated from Smith. He didn't dare look up but he saw boots move away from him.

"Don't tell me you are a spook!" The woman said savagely. "Just… don't!"

"We are not." Almira reassured her. "But we cannot tell you who and what we are. Not _will not_ , _cannot_."

Smith did not dare move as the humans conversed in their language. He wasn't a good judge of odd languages, but both seemed agitated. Then he froze. He saw something in the distant darkness. A patch of it was moving towards the officers stealthily. An attack? How? Why? Then it drew what had to be a weapon and Smith made up his mind.

"Behind you!" Smith barked without thinking. The female officer spun with what had to be an oath. She shouted something in her language as the dark area behind her erupted with forms. Humans, mostly small ones, but a few larger ones mixed in. All held crude weapons and were now encircling the quartet as both security troops drew their weapons.

The male security officer snarled something in his language as he gripped his weapon and several of the dark from made rude gestures at him and the female beside him. Others were leering at Almira and Smith had a good idea their intent.

"I am assuming these are not your friends." Smith rose to his feet, setting his stance. He wasn't a very good fighter, but none of these had a clue what Almira was.

"Constitutionals are no one's friends." The female officer spat.

"And your backup?" Smith asked. They had to have backup. No one sent _two_ security troops out to such an area without backup. No one.

"Delayed." The woman groaned. "We are on our own."

"And they want..." Smith paused as the crowd growled at him. "Never mind. I know the types. Feral mob or pack. Um… Do you mind if we do something?"

"Considering that they will do to me and your girlfriend after they kill you and Simmons?" The woman said sourly. "No. Feel free." The mob paused, unsure about this odd behavior. Fear they understood, but Smith was not afraid, not now. He was focused. This was an obstacle, no more.

"Find the alpha." Smith said as he scanned the pack. "Take out the alpha and the pack will scatter until another rises."

"Third from the left." Almira said as she set herself. "Don't get cut."

"Wasn't planning on it." Smith said as he focused on a female form whose leather jacket had seen far better days. Her white skin was pockmarked with odd lesions. Nothing he had ever seen before. Her hair was spiky red, white and blue mixed in a horrible mash. "Officer? What are the laws here for self defense?"

"Against _Constitutionals_?" The officer said slowly. " _Survive_."

"Okay." Smith said with a nod. "Please don't shoot my friend. You will make her mad." Almira snorted as she set herself.

"What- _Holy!_ " The woman exclaimed and then barked something in her language as Almira threw herself into the midst of the mob near the leader she had designated.

Mobs were generally not very bright. The old rule about mobs only being as smart as the stupidest member wasn't quite true. There was a distinct psychology to a mob, one separate from any other form of human grouping. While they were whole, they were strong and united. If something happened to fracture said mob, such as a small and slight human looking form tossing herself into it to kill the apparent leader with ease and then stand over the corpse _smiling widely_ … Well, that tended to make even the bravest member of any group have thoughts about his or her own mortality. This particular group swayed back as Almira smiled at them.

"Alpha down." Smith said softly. He felt his face start to stretch in a smile that matched Almira's. "Don't get greedy, girl." He chided Almira. "Save some for me."

He started to chuckle as he stepped forward, cracking his knuckles loudly. More than one of the group turned and ran. Then he was laughing and several of the group bolted. They were brave in large groups or facing opponents they could beat easily. Intellectually, they all likely knew they could still win. But how much would it cost them? The cops had weapons. Almira and Smith didn't seem to care if they lived or died. Add to that, Almira had made it look simple to land on someone and snap their neck from a standing start almost ten meters away! She wasn't even _breathing_ hard. Suddenly, Almira was laughing too and the group stared from her to Smith and back, wavering.

The female security officer said something and the rest of the group ran, melting into the shadows from which they had come.

The two humans stared from Almira to Smith and back as Almira stepped off the corpse she had created and strode back to them, head high. Both cops looked wary but Almira shrugged and relaxed.

"You could have done that to us." The female cop said slowly.

" _You_ were not threatening our lives." Smith said with a shrug as Almira stopped beside him. "I know pain. I don't want to go through that again if I can help it. Neither does my friend." He shook his head as howls sounded in the distance. "Packs are easily startled, but they will soon return and with more numbers."

"What are you, some kind of Tenno?" The woman demanded as the man tensed beside her.

"No." Smith said firmly as he shook his head. "I am not Tenno." He did not mention Almira. "I am here to stop something bad from happening and then I need to _talk_ to the Tenno, but not yet."

"Bad?" The woman did not lower her guard or her weapon. "Tenno and the golden bitch leading them are not welcome here."

"So I have heard." Smith said mildly. "I am here to warn someone that they are a target for assassination." The woman stilled and then she laughed. Smith frowned. "What?"

" _Everyone_ in this godsforsaken shithole is a target for assassination, boy." The woman said with a snort of derision. "Most of them deserve it."

"Maybe." Smith allowed. "This assassination will have far reaching consequences if we don't stop it. I am not from here as you have no doubt guessed."

"Those clothes and speaking _Latin_ of all things." The woman was laughing now and the man beside her looked at her as if she were crazy. "No. You are from the South Side of course. What are you, some kind of Vatican Special Operations?"

"If I were, could I tell you?" Smith asked reasonably.

"We have called in the disturbance." The woman said with a frown. "We have to take you in or we lose our jobs." Smith stared at her and she shrugged. "Cops are not liked by anyone these days. After all, we are supposed to enforce the law impartially and we have to be paid to do it. The politicians don't like the word 'pay'."

"That is never going to change." Smith said and paused as the male cop said something firmly. He raised a blocky thing, some kind of weapon probably. Smith shook his head. "We don't want to fight you."

"Good." The woman said with a grunt as the man fired his weapon. Some kind of filaments arced toward Smith, but Almira caught them on something he hadn't seen her pick up. The club sizzled and she dropped it as if stung, but both cops stared at her.

"Don't move." Almira warned. She wasn't looking at the _cops_. "We are in grave danger." Only oine group could make her so wary here and now. Tenno.

"How many?" Smith asked tightly.

"I have seen two." Almira said softly. "I couldn't tell the warframes at this range, but nothing else moves like that."

" _Warframes_?" The female cop started, but froze as Almira shook her head savagely.

"Don't move!" Almira snapped. "And tell _him_ not to move. If there are two, there are likely _more_."

Both cops jerked and were suddenly encased in coruscating golden energy! Some kind of stasis field?

"Well reasoned." A familiar voice sounded and Smith felt fear blossom as a form straight out of his nightmares strode around the obelisk at their backs. He held an unfamiliar sleek rifle in his hands. _Frost!_ "You speak Latin oddly as the police officer said."

"How long were you watching?" Smith demanded. Almira looked at him and shook her head. He forced himself to relax. This wasn't the Tenno who had tortured him. Not yet anyway.

"We arrived just after the energy spike was detected. We were curious. Now we are even more. You speak oddly and _she_ has been trained in our styles." Frost said mildly. Smith did not look around, indeed, he didn't take his eyes off the golden hopped helmet. Frost eyed him right back. "Do I know you? You look as if you know me and you don't like me."

"No." Smith grated out. "I don't know you."

"That is a lie." Smith felt faint as Nyx stepped into view. She held a rifle similar to Frost's in hand. "Want to try again, boy? Lies sing to me."

"I bet they do." Smith said with a growl. He was afraid and angry, but he had to do this. He had to. "The humans are targeting Talia!" He said quickly. "You have to stop them."

"They always _are_." Frost shrugged. "Tell me something we don't know."

"Like how you are _human_ , _Infected_ and _talking_."


	14. Chapter 14

**Debates both calm and violent**

Smith did not move, did not speak. He simply stared at Frost as Almira tensed beside him. Part of him wanted to flee the warframe that raised such fear in him. Part of him wanted to rend the Tenno limb from limb, as silly as that thought was. He had no chance against Frost. Part of him simply wanted to lie down and cry.

He ignored all of those parts to look at Nyx who also wasn't moving.

"Will you kill these?" Smith asked, nodding to the frozen humans.

"Ignoring our questions to ask questions yourself is not wise." Nyx said mildly.

"We cannot talk to you." Smith said softly. Nyx stared at him as Frost looked at her.

"You think that is true." Nyx said slowly. "Your fear is strong. The girl's anger is strong. You _do_ know Frost and me. But we don't know you. How..." She broke off suddenly and shook her head. "This makes no sense."

"Is Talia in the city?" Almira said through clenched teeth. "She is in grave danger."

"From you?" Frost demanded. Almira and Smith both shook their heads. "Who then?"

"I am a threat, but not the immediate one." Smith said slowly. "She is coming to discuss the Americans' intransigence. She wants a peaceful solution. _They_ want blood. They will kill her."

"Truth." Nyx said softly, her rifle muzzle falling. "You do know us and you hate us." She inhaled. "That is not possible. We do not know you."

"Tenno, how much of what has happened to you _has_ been possible?" Smith asked quietly. "Without a much better reason than you have been given, you cannot read my mind without violating your oaths, just my surface thoughts and emotions. I was given a short briefing before we came. It lacked a great deal of detail. We cannot stay here, but I will not let you murder these humans."

"You are not American." Frost said softly. "Why do you think so little of us?"

"Frost, wait." Nyx said as Smith fought for control of the rage and fear that surged inside him. "He isn't faking his anger and fear. He really hates and fears you. He is wary of me, but he doesn't fear me as much. And the girl?" She actually winced. "Be glad you cannot feel _her_ emotions." She shook her head. "To answer your question, no. We won't kill the police officers. They will remember investigating a disturbance. The drone that spotlit you has already been tweaked to show two gang members fighting here. They will find a body, report it and leave. No one will care about a dead gang member."

"Then we need to go." Every muscle was protesting as Smith turned his back on Frost to look across the city. "I need to talk to Talia and the First Tenno. I can tell them what is going on. No one else."

"Do you really think we will just let you into their presence?" Frost demanded, rifle at the ready.

"No." Smith replied and Frost stared at him. "You are not stupid, Tenno. Of _course_ you will take precautions. But we have very little time. So, help us or get out of the way."

Frost stared at the unarmed man and then of things, he chuckled.

"I like you." The Tenno slung his rifle. "Too many pussies around these days. Nice to see someone who has balls." He froze as Smith's emotions were going haywire and Nyx recoiled. "Nyx?"

"Stop!" Nyx said sharply as Smith fought for control. "Oh my god… Frost. Stop."

"Stop what?" Frost asked, confused.

"Stop _talking_!" Almira took hold of Smith as he shook. "Easy, easy… It is okay." Almira held Smith as he shuddered. "It is all right. It is over. This isn't..." She broke off, her face working. "It is over, Smith. It is over."

"Almira, help!" Smith begged as his emotions tore through him.

"Focus!" Almira said sternly. "Focus on the Code! You have a mission. You will accomplish the mission. All else is secondary. _Emotions_ are secondary. Focus on the _mission_!"

"I..." Smith did as instructed, focusing on what she had taught him. It took far longer than it should have, but eventually, he was breathing air that did not come strained. When he looked up, there were _three_ warframes standing there and the cops were gone. "We… We need to go."

"Smith. You and your companion have strong negative emotions about myself and Frost." Nyx said quietly. "Banshee will escort you to a safehouse. We will decide what to do once you are out of public view."

"Warn Talia!" Smith grated out.

"We have." Banshee stepped forward and her warframe shimmered for a moment before vanishing. A pretty Caucasian girl stood there instead, clad in a long dark coat and dark pants. A hologram of some kind? Probably. "But she is a bit stubborn, the Empress."

"She… She thinks she has to do this." Smith was gasping for breath as Almira held him. "She won't put it off." The girl stared at him and shook her head.

"You know far more about our affairs than you should." Banshee said slowly. "Come on, lets get you out of sight."

She started off and Almira helped Smith until he found his feet. When he looked back, the other two warframes had vanished. His fear faded a bit, but it was still there. He knew Frost was nearby and Smith wanted to bolt. To run and run until he couldn't run anymore. He didn't. He patted Almira's hand and strode to keep up with the camouflaged Tenno. She led them to the fence and it bent away from her oddly, as if held by invisible hands. She ignored that so Almira and Smith did as well. In moments, they were walking through what looked or all the world like a warzone. This part of the terrain matched any area Smith had seen Grineer assaults go through for sheer devastation. There were skeletons laying as if the bides they had come from had fallen and never been moved. Some looked far too small to be adults. Banshee saw him looking around and shook her head.

"The last incursion that made it this far, the Administration used a very nasty gas that bypassed most filters." Banshee said quietly. "None of the civilians in the area were warned. None made it out in time."

"They um..." Almira swallowed as they passed a mound of what looked like body bags. About half were full. "I assume that if negotiations fail, the insurgents will try again?"

"Oh yes." Banshee sighed sadly as she walked. "Americans are nothing if not really easy to push past rational limits when they get pissed off. History abounds with examples. Funny thing was, when I was born, people though the US were pansies because they didn't like to go in guns blazing all the time. They forgot that Americans learn _very_ well lessons taught in war. The German and Japanese learned that lesson the hard way, the Muslim world likewise." She shook her head. "This is just the latest mess and not even close to the worst."

Smith didn't take his eyes from Banshee as they crossed a road with two burnt out armored vehicles sitting in the middle of it. A mob of people, many of whom looked as if they couldn't be over twenty, ran away as the trio walked towards a set of houses that seemed slightly less dilapidated than others. The buildings looked ornate, but most were very badly worn by weather and warfare.

"This is _Embassy Row_." Almira said suddenly. Banshee looked at her and Almira swallowed. "I heard...some."

"Yeah. They didn't bother warning the embassies either. After all, if they did? Someone might tell their enemies and ruin the surprise." Banshee sighed deeply. "If not for the Empress, this whole _country_ would be a smoking radioactive _crater_ after so many embassies were slaughtered. Only _four_ embassies survived at all, and most of those lost staff. Killing ambassadors with no warning has always been an act of war. They didn't care. The head of the armored column was almost to Pennsylvania Avenue and that was all that mattered. Idiots. Yes, they have the most powerful conventional military. It wouldn't matter if _everyone_ _else_ on the _planet_ else decided to step on them. Talia didn't want such horror, so she managed to get sanctions by the rest of the world imposed instead. That got the politicians here a bit miffed at her."

"Well, yeah." Smith unbent a little. "Money and power are everything, right? Honor, duty, loyalty, responsibility? These are for lesser beings."

"Too many feel that way, especially here." Banshee took a long look around and shook her head again. "All we have to do is look around to see the cost. Third civil war in five years, but nothing is wrong. Business as usual."

"And the only people who profit are the crooks and the gangs." Almira said softly. Banshee nodded.

"Only the lawless benefit from lack of law." Banshee agreed. "Everyone else gets screwed, but hey, the rich have their secure fortresses and everyone else can go hang. I don't blame Talia for finally saying 'enough' and all but demanding to open talks to bring them into the Empire. Not after seeing this. Not after California and Texas."

"Did they _really_ blow the San Andreas fault?" Almira asked in a tiny voice. Banshee looked at her. "I… I know people with power do not hold it by being nice, but..."

"Yeah. The vote of secession went through and an hour later the fault slipped more than it ever has in history. We are still not entirely sure how they did it, but evidence points to a subterranean nuke. Almost twenty million dead all told between the earthquakes, the fires, disease and then the anarchy. Then they blockaded the ports." Banshee said softly. "The US Navy was ordered to sink any ships trying to deliver medical supplies to the 'rebels'." She made air quotes around that word. "I don't know if they did. We were busy. I _do_ know that was the straw that broke the camel's back about loyalty to the Administration. The chief executive might have been the Commander in Chief, but when he started acting like a raving nutcase? They had to choose. Many did. Entire units simply vanished. Some still haven't reappeared to this day. They are probably dead, but we don't know."

"And now, the Empress and the Tenno are involved." Smith said softly. "Reluctantly."

" _Very_ reluctantly." Banshee led them into a dark building and nodded to two hulking forms in heavy armor who simply appeared out of the gloom. "Peace be with you, guardians. These are with me."

"Salaam, Banshee." One made a gesture that Smith thought looked religious that Banshee returned. "It is a quiet night. but this place… It seems too quiet. On edge. Waiting."

"These people cannot be trusted." The other guard said quietly and Banshee nodded.

"They can be trusted to twist the truth to suit themselves. Beyond that? No. They cannot be. I may have been born here long ago, but now? These people are as alien to me as I am to them." Banshee shrugged. "Their media has been demonizing the Orokin and the Tenno as alien monsters for decades. The Empress curtailing their fun and games with weapons of mass destruction only made things worse."

"We can hope the Empress can get through their thick heads that this foolishness must end." The first guard shook his head. He tapped his helmet and nodded. "They are expecting you."

"We can hope, but do not let your guard down." Banshee said with a growl. "Anything unusual?"

"Not really." The second guard scoffed. "Some sniper fire here and there aimed at the decoy facility. One fool tried an anti-tank missile on the gates there."

"So Mag _did_ get to play?" Banshee snickered as both guards nodded. "Maybe she will stop whining now." Almira tensed. Smith gripped her hand and she relaxed, but he saw that Banshee had noticed. "And the moron who fired it?"

"Mag held the missile less than a meter from the launcher and blew it up there." The first guard winced hard enough to be visible in his armor. "Whoever fired it… There was precious little left."

"Do not irritate the Mag, no." Banshee said in a monotone. " _Bad_ idea."

"Indeed." The guard paused and then nodded. "The Empress is sending an escort." He nodded to a doorway nearby and Banshee started forward. Smith and Almira followed.

As soon as Smith passed the door though, he was falling. He landed on his hands and knees on a hard surface and he was alone in a small room. He shook his head as he rose to his feet. The room was bare metal, no furnishings or fixtures. Nothing to break or use as weapons.

"I cannot say I am surprised." Smith said mildly. He had to be under observation after all. "But at least tell me that you warned Talia."

"Considering how many times the US has tried to make supersoldiers using the Technocyte Virus." A very familiar voice said as a wall became transparent. Hayden Tenno sat in chair in another room that mirrored the one Smith stood in, bare metal walls. "Why should we take your word for anything?"

"Because you know she is in danger." Smith said as sternly as he could.

"She is in danger every day." Hayden retorted evenly. "But you? This is a new low even for these scum."

"They didn't send me." Smith replied, not moving from where he stood. "And I hope you won't hurt Almira. She has done nothing but suffer for helping me."

"She is a conundrum." Hayden admitted. "She is like us, changed, but not lost to the virus. She is also trained in our style of fighting. Nyx was impressed and Nyx is hard to impress."

"Considering where she was trained, I am not surprised." Smith shook his head and sat down on the floor. "So? How do I die? Gas? Bullets? An ax?"

"Unlike the parody that is the US government nowadays, _we_ won't be cruel." Hayden said with a sigh. "We need to know where you came from and how. If we can find out without hurting you, we will."

"You could just ask." Smith said with a snort. "Don't tell me Nyx isn't monitoring this conversation. Don't even try."

"Nyx is bothered by you." Hayden admitted. "The reactions you show to her and Frost are according to her, totally genuine. Which makes no sense. Frost is no pacifist, but he wouldn't have hurt you like someone had to to cause such fear."

"Then I imagined it and that means I am just deluded." Smith shrugged. "Good, that means Talia is not actually in danger and you won't react _badly_ when she dies." The sarcasm in his voice could have cut steel.

"Badly." Hayden mused. "I might if she were to. The rest of us likewise. Is that why you are here? To keep us from revenge?"

"No." Smith said softly. "I am here to try and keep something awful from happening. Talia is needed. The US is the last holdout. If they were to, oh, I don't know, murder the one bright light who is trying to make the world better, no one would react badly at all to that, would they?" He shook his head." Especially not the Tenno who have been with her since the beginning."

"So, instead, you protect her? Hayden scoffed. "Like I am going to let you anywhere _near_ her."

"That would be stupid of you." Smith agreed. Hayden looked at him oddly and Smith shrugged. "I am infected. She is not. It may be in remission, bet I bet that won't last."

"Remission?" Hayden asked, face working. "The Technocyte virus cannot be put into remission."

"Sure it can." Smith corrected the other grimly. "It just takes more power and knowledge than you have."

"WHO THE FUCK SENT YOU?" Smith jerked as a familiar and _furious_ female voice shouted and a warframe appeared beside him. Mag was pissed. "WHO THE HELL TOOK MY DNA?" She grabbed Smith but the throat and held him off the floor effortlessly. "ANSWER ME, DAMMIT!"

Hayden was on his feet, but did not react as Mag choked the human.

"Hard to do with you choking me!" Smith managed to grate out as he feebly scratched at the hand that held him. Mag snarled something vile and tossed Smith so that he hit the wall, where he slid down to lie stunned.

"I will have answers. Out of your hide if I need to." Mag said in a dangerous voice. "That girl… She is… What the _hell_ did you do?"

"Mag?" Hayden asked slowly. "Problem?"

"That girl's DNA is almost a direct match for mine!" Mag shouted. "Who the hell cloned me?" She strode towards Smith who rose to his feet and glared at the warframe.

"No one." Smith didn't even see the blow coming. He was airborne for a moment, but then snatched out of the air and held in something that constricted around him.

"Don't you _dare_ lie to me about this." Mag snarled. "First the US goes bananas, now they _clone_ me? They took my flesh. I know they did."

"They didn't." Smith screamed as whatever was holding him constricted further, but then he shouted. "Go ahead! Do your worst! You _cannot_ hurt me as much as Frost did! _No one can!_ "

"You are lying sack of shit. Frost didn't hurt you!" Mag snapped.

"Do you want answers or do you just want to hurt someone who cannot fight back?" Smith snapped at Mag who stared at him. "That is what he _did_. Why shouldn't you be the same?"

Mag started for him, but Hayden spoke.

"Mag we need answers, not blood." Hayden's voice was soft and quiet, but held deadly intent and Mag froze in place. He shook his head slowly at Smith. "Making her angrier is a bad idea, boy."

"I don't _care_." Smith snapped, patience fleeing. "I am dead either way. Either _she_ kills me, _Frost_ kills me, your _experiments_ kill me or I _die_ when the virus takes over. Dead." He sat down heavily and crossed his arms. "Go fuck yourself, Mag. I won't help you."

Mag started for him, an eerie glow coalescing around her hands, but she froze in place as Hayden snapped his fingers. He slowly shook his head.

"You know her too." Hayden mused. "You are pushing her. Why?"

"Because I have to die." Smith said softly. "The virus inside of me is the _pure_ strain. The same strain you faced in Lasria." At that, Mag and Hayden both stiffened. "And yes, he has spoken to me."

"That is impossible." Hayden said flatly. "The US never _had_ a pure strain. We worked very hard to keep them from playing with _any_ of the virus. We would _know_ if they had a pure strain."

"They didn't infect me." Smith agreed. Mag stared at him and then at Hayden, obviously confused.

"Then who _did_?" Hayden demanded, ire finally breaking through his control.

" _You_ did."


	15. Chapter 15

**Belief**

Smith waited for a reaction to his statement. He didn't have to wait long. Mag's fist cracked out and slammed him to the wall again, this time leaving his head spinning. From how his chest felt? She had broken a couple of his ribs.

"Bullshit." The angry Tenno made a noise more akin to an animal than a sentient being. "One more dumbass American trick. How stupid do you think we are?"

"Not stupid at all." Smith did not take his eyes off Hayden who was eyeing him right back. "You are _angry_. You are understandably angry and angry people make irrational choices all the time." He shook his head and grimaced as it spun. "Go ahead, hurt me again. I cannot stop you. But Almira is _not your enemy_."

"Who is she?" Hayden asked, looking at Mag who flinched from his regard. "Mag is cleared for the highest levels of our organization, such as it is."

"Are you sure?" Smith asked softly. "The fewer who know this, the better."

"What the _hell_ are you blathering about?" Mag demanded.

"Mag. Think about it. Think it through." Hayden said softly as he raised a finger. "An unknown energy spike. Not one that _anyone_ has seen before. Ember and Nova are flipping out about new sources of energy and new fields to study." He raised another finger. "Two people who are... well, the best phrase would probably be 'fish out of water'. They don't know this place." He raised a third finger. "Both of whom are _terrified_ of Nyx and Frost. Both of which, _we_ know can be scary and pragmatic, but have never tortured anyone who matches these peoples' descriptions." He paused. "Yet."

"Hayden, you cannot believe this!" Mag was incredulous.

"No, actually I _don't_ believe this." Hayden shrugged. "It is probably some convoluted American trick. But it does fit the facts." Mag was shaking her head. "Add to that, both refuse to talk. Nyx has been probing the girl's mind gently and she is clamped up tight. She is trained in our ways and we don't know her."

"I talk." Smith protested. "I just don't say what you want me to." Mag growled at him and he shrugged. "My debt to you was paid after you slugged me the second time. Fuck off."

"Debt?" Hayden shook his head. "Mag!" He snapped as Mag started forward again. "What debt?" He demanded.

"She was kind to me when she didn't need to be." Smith said softly. "After so long in horror, she was kind and gentle to a lost, hurting child. I didn't know what was happening, just that I was hurting. Then she she made me whole again. I didn't know I was broken until she fixed me." He slumped a bit. "Fine, you want the truth? I will _give_ you the truth. You won't believe it and if you do? You will never sleep soundly again. Hell, _I_ don't believe it, but it happened. My birth name was Smit and as you have no doubt guessed, I am not from around here. My family were killed by degenerate clones bent on annihilating humanity when I was five years old and I lived on my own after that. I made some spectacularly bad choices..."

* * *

An hour later

"… and then I stepped into the column of energy with Almira and traveled here." Smith said with a rasp. His throat was dry and sore, but he knew better than to ask for anything. Mag had slowly gotten angrier and angrier as she had listened to him talk. "So yes, I am infected. _Twice_ no less. So go ahead, kill me. That is what Tenno do. Just _try_ to protect Talia, _please_?"

He sat down and agony roared through his chest. He ignored it.

"You really expect us to believe _any_ of that?" Mag scoffed. "That you are a reality hopping time traveler?"

"I have no power over what you believe." Smith felt pain rise again. He ignored that too. "I can only control myself and I have done a crappy job of that most of my life."

"Why did Frost hurt you?" Hayden asked slowly. "That makes no sense."

"I wasn't in a position to _ask_ while strapped to a table being mutilated!" Smith snarled. "I was told he liked pictures and it got worse over time. Lots worse over a _long_ time." At that, Mag recoiled.

"Mag?" Hayden asked when she stood there, staring at Smith.

"Ask Frost." Mag said softly. "It's not my place to say."

"If I leave him with you, will he be alive when I get back?" Hayden asked with a long drawn out sigh.

"Yes." Mag's reply was simple and to the point. Hayden glared at her and then rose from where he had been sitting and left the other room where he had been this whole time. Smith bowed his head and Mag scoffed. "I don't lie to Hayden, boy. He tends to get a bit irritated when people do that."

"Yeah." Smith sighed. "That at least won't ever change." He looked at the floor. "Almira loved her grandmother very much."

"You glossed over where she came from." Mag said quietly. "I don't want to know, do I?" Smith shook his head. "No one knows about Frost's collection of porn but me." She said mildly. "So either, I really suck as security head for the Tenno… Or you really are what you say."

"It doesn't matter." Smith said quietly. "I am dead. But if Talia dies, bad things will happen to the Tenno and humanity. What I saw had _alien_ _life forms_ scared for the existence of humanity. One life for billions. Even I can do that math. My warning is given. That is all I can do. Now, you can kill me to stop the outbreak from happening."

"That is seriously fucked up." Mag said to no one in particular. "Talia dead, Hayden an _Emperor_ , _Nyx_ his head of secret police, _Frost_ a torturer, _Trinity_ a drug lord and me… a _healer_?" She shook her head. "I couldn't _make_ that up. No one would buy it if I wrote it as fiction."

"Truth is stranger than fiction, Mag. Always." Another familiar voice sounded, but Smith felt too weary to look up. He didn't even react as a warframe clad hand entered his vision to take hold of his wrist. He was too tired to resist as the hand traced his arm, odd energy flaring across it. She gasped. "Oh my god!"

"Trinity?" Mag asked.

"The girl and he both show skeletal marks of having been injured and then healed using Tenno style energy." Trinity said softly, horror in every syllable. "From the extent… Both were tortured." She placed her hands on Smith's chest. "Who tortured you, boy?"

"I doesn't matter now." Smith said softly as something went 'snap' inside his chest. Nothing hurt now. "I am done." Just, take care of Almira until… She..."

He was fading. He heard loud voices, but nothing registered. Then something shocked him and he groaned his way back to consciousness. Hands held him on the floor as he tried to sit up.

"...and for the _record_ , hitting a human in the head that way is _always_ a major injury, Mag." Trinity was snarling as Smith roused partway. "They don't heal like we do! No, boy. Don't try to move just yet. I understand your feelings, but we still need information."

"Just kill me." Smith said weakly as something touched his chest where Mag had hit him and the pain faded. "It is too dangerous to leave me alive."

"Be that as it may, Hayden told me to heal you." Trinity said firmly. "So I am." She did something else and Smith felt fuzziness start to surround him.

"Please..."

He never -quite- went under completely. People were talking around him but no one hurting him now. He felt… Well, he didn't feel much of anything. Everything was far away now. A new voice permeated his fuzzy head, but he was too out of it to react.

"...and yes, I know, Hayden." A sour female voice that Smith found somewhat familiar was saying. "I know how you feel and I know why. But having two warframes shadowing me everywhere I go is not acceptable. I cannot take them to negotiate with the President for Life and you know it."

"Talia, I am responsible for your safety in this warzone." Hayden said flatly. "If you don't take them, you are not going. You are far too important to be here at all. You know it is a trap. I know it is a trap. We should just leave and let them kill each other."

"You of all people know that they won't limit their wars to each other, Hayden. We never accounted for all of the WMDs either." Talia sounded tired. Smith tried to open his eyes and couldn't. "This is the job you foisted off on me. I know my job, Hayden. If it demands my life, then so be it. Humanity will continue."

"Will it?" Hayden asked. "This one and the girl..."

"Don't tell me you are falling for this!" Talia said sharply. "It is another trick."

"Is it?" Hayden asked reasonably. "They know things that they cannot know. That no one knows. Neither of them is in any database that we can access. Their stories are far out there, to be sure, but they are consistent with each other. And frankly? Why would Americans come here and try to stop you from negotiating? They know they are hurting, they just refuse to accept that they are going the way of the dinosaurs."

"They want to be free to make money and kill people with their god given guns." Talia said with a groan. "And if they can make money _while_ killing people with their guns, all the better."

"Talia..." Hayden tried again. "If you die, I might very well go off the deep end. We have discussed this."

"Hayden." Talia's voice turned gentle. "I am mortal. I am _going_ to die. Maybe today, maybe tomorrow. Maybe in another ten years. Maybe in bed, surrounded by my kid and maybe alone in a cell somewhere. The Empire is my responsibility and I take it seriously. This slaughter needs to stop. I _will_ go to the negotiations and I am _not_ going to take Loki and Excalibur with me. We will argue more, but that is what is going to happen."

"There may be another way." Hayden said quietly. "The boy presents an opportunity. He is not Tenno or Orokin and he is infected. If we let him loose in one of their enclaves… They will see first hand what horror truly is."

"Unleash a _Technocyte outbreak_ on them? _Hayden!"_ She sounded shocked. "I won't stop to their level, Hayden. I won't become what I fight and neither will _you_! " Talia snapped. "I am going and that is final."

"No!" Smith felt whatever was holding him fray as his mind finally bashed free of the sedative. He lurched upright, but he was alone in the room. He stared around wildly, but there was no one present. He stared down at himself but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary. His chest felt fine and his head was clear now. "No, please!" Smith begged the walls. "Please don't let her do that!"

There was no answer and Smith rose to his feet, feeling twinges now. His skin was crawling again. Not a good sign. He slumped to the floor and sat there. He wasn't a religious person. He never had been. For the first time in a long time, he wanted to pray. He was sitting there when the wall blew in.

The blast stunned him and he was in no condition to resist as forms in odd looking armor ran in and grabbed hold of him. He didn't bother to struggle, most of them held weapons. One of them clamped archaic looking restraints on him and something dark went over his head. Then he was urged to his feet and into motion. He ran through tunnels that looked familiar and then out into the night. A vehicle of some kind was parked right outside the building. Where were the guards? Where were the Tenno? These were not Tenno, they moved like _humans_. Well trained, well equipped humans. Kind of like the Arbiters of Hexis troops Smit had seen on the Plains if nowhere near as technologically advanced.

The ones guiding him all but threw him into the vehicle. There, two forms in what had to be some kind of hazardous materials suits took hold of him and strapped him to a seat as the vehicle rumbled into motion. The bag came off his head, and he was blinded by bright lights. Before he could speak, iron hands clamped onto his skull and something forced its way into his mouth. Some kind of gag? He stared around wildly and one of the forms in hazmat suits chuckled.

"Welcome to the US, alien. I hope you enjoy your stay." Something slammed into the back of Smith's head and he knew no more.

* * *

When he woke, he was lying on something cold. He could tell he was naked and restrained to the cold thing. He couldn't see.

"It is awake." A cold, clinical female voice sounded from somewhere nearby. "Let them know."

Smith tried to speak and could not. Whatever was in his mouth filled it almost completely. He could breath through his nose, but no more." He slumped a bit as his skin crawled again, almost in anticipation?

"And here is the subject, Ma'am." An oily voice sounded nearby. One that Smith hated the instant he heard it. It wasn't a Grineer, but it sounded far too much like a Grineer. Arrogance mixed with anger and an odd lust. In Grineer, it was a lust for violence. Smith dreaded what it meant there.

"So I see." A female voice. No one that Smith knew. "Status?"

"The virus is progressing as you can see on the monitors." A gasp sounded and the man was quick to reassure the other. "We are quite safe here. It is enclosed in a level three hazmat environment and there is no connection for air to pass. This is what you asked for. A viable Technocyte carrier."

"Yes." The other mused. "It looks so human. It could pass for one of us easily."

"By all accounts, at this stage of infection, yes it can." The male replied. "The later stages get more pronounced."

"Then by all means, lets get our revenge underway." The female laughed "All this time, the fool has been seeking a cure for his mortality. Now I will hand it to him and it will cost him everything. Just like he cost _me_. I will take it all from him and take back our country. Make it great again!" Madness sang in her voice as darkness pulled Smith in again.

* * *

Some time later

Smith jerked awake, instantly aware that he was clothed again and not restrained. He cracked his eyes and froze. The room he lay in was opulent in the extreme, but looked oddly faded, as if it hadn't been used in a while. He didn't move. Instead, he checked his body. He couldn't find anything wrong, except a few small red marks on his elbows and rings of red around his wrist and ankles where he had been restrained.

The clothes he wore were different. They seemed more formal? Maybe. He wasn't sure what was going on now. Someone else was using him as a weapon, trying to spread the virus. He didn't move. If he infected anyone…

"Hello." Smith felt fer rise as a door opened and a small form entered. The wide eyed white skinned human girl couldn't have been more than _five_. She was cute as a button. She had odd looking orange hair, but it didn't detract from her cuteness. If anything? It added to it. "No one is supposed to be in here."

Smith tried to yell at her to run, but his lips didn't open.

 _Now, now…_ The familiar hated voice inside himself spoke up again. _Don't be hasty. This one will be useful._ Smith felt his lips move and despite everything he did, _someone else_ spoke with his voice. "Hello girl. What is your name?"

"Grandpa says I shouldn't talk to strangers." The girl declared stoutly.

"That is good advice. There are lot of people out there who would hurt a pretty little girl." The other mind inside Smith said with as his head nodded. "So, let's not remain strangers, shall we? My name is Robert."

Inside Smith was quailing as the girl looked unsure.

 _RUN GIRL!_ Smith screamed in his head, but nothing came out and the feeling of a blow smashed into his mind, leaving him reeling.

 _Shut up._ The other snapped as Smith's body moved of its own accord. His body sat up and he beckoned the girl closer. "I won't hurt you. I am very confused about where I am and how I got here. Maybe you can help me?"

There was something more in the voice now. The girl seemed to wilt a little and then she stepped forward her eyes hooding as she reached for his hand.

 _No!_ Smith begged as the girl reached the bed and took hold of his hand. She slumped further as the hand wrapped around hers and energy passed between them. Her eyes were open, but they stared at nothing as Smith's other hand reached up to cup the back of her skull and more energy played across her. She sighed in contentment and snuggled close to Smith's body.

"There we are, my dear. Not strangers anymore." The mind within Smith said gently with his voice. "You may call me 'Master'. Feels good, doesn't it?"

"Yes, Master." The girl said softly as she hugged him. "It does."

"Okay, where are we and who are you?" The mind within Smith asked as Smith's hands stroked the girl's hair.

"You are in my home." The girl said softly. "My name is Debra."

"Debra. A pretty name for a pretty girl. And where is your home?" The other inquired as more energy played from Smith's fingers. He didn't know what was happening, but whatever it was, it wasn't good. "Does it have a name, your home?"

"Of course it does, silly Master." The girl giggled and Smith felt his heart fall to pieces as she was infected or enslaved, maybe both.

"Everyone calls it the White House."


	16. Chapter 16

**Horrors**

Smith was rapidly losing his grip on his sanity.

The cute little girl had simply been the first to fall to the otherworldly mind that now controlled Smith's body utterly. The malign intelligence had been incredibly sneaky in its subversion of the denizens of this place. The girl had been turned into a willing and eager carrier of the virus and she had spread it everywhere she went. Security stations, kitchens, bedrooms, restrooms, the list went on and on. Smith could feel the other's glee as more and more of the inhabitants of this place were infected.

 _So this is what you are._ Smith said with a snarl as he beat at the mental walls that held him. _Just a pervert. Using kids for your amusement. How are you different from Frost?_

Far from angry, the other was amused.

 _I do not expect you to understand._ The being once known as Robert Mezner said quietly. _You will resist, like all the unknowing. But you are doomed to fail. Just as Neanderthals had to give way to the more evolved species, so to must Homo Sapiens._

 _Evil bastard! Using a kid that way!_ Smith snapped and then screamed silently as agony tore through him.

 _This resistance is hurting you. Just give in and it will all be easier. As for using a child?_ _You go to war with the tools you have._ The other replied. _You know this was done by another human, yes?_

 _Yes, I know they put me in here hoping you would do this!_ Smith groaned as the pain ebbed and faded. _You enjoy hurting people, don't you?_

 _No, actually I don't._ The other sounded pensive for a moment. _Change can hurt. Birth is always a traumatic experience._ **Rebirth** _even more so. This is inevitable, and no matter you may think, I do try and limit the damage done. I could have simply forced you to hold that girl down and force the virus into her. Even a bite would have worked_ _let alone something more lewd_ _._ _Ah…_ He mused as gunfire sounded nearby, followed by screams. _It seems the security forces have finally woken to the threat. Too late, my friends. Too late._ The gunfire stopped with shocking suddenness and the other sighed in Smith's head. _And… done. The White House is ours._

 _You mean yours!_ Smith fought with all his might to free his mind from the pervading grasp that held it to no avail.

 _No._ The other replied. _I, myself, am meaningless. Any individual is meaningless when put against a species. I am simply doing what I must. I take no joy in the death and destruction._

 _I don't believe you!_ Smith shouted in his head. _You are no god!_

 _I never claimed to be one, dear boy._ Mezner replied with a chuckle that didn't sound forced at all. _Deities are human fabrications intended to make sense of the senseless. Religions are human fabrications intended to bring order to chaos. Folly that._ He mused. _Humans are nothing of not chaotic. What I am is evolved._ _N_ _o more, no less._

 _You are evil!_ Smith fought as hard as he could as his body rose from the bed and started for the door.

 _From your point of view, yes._ Mezner replied. _Your logic is flawed. In time, I will show you a better way. For now? We have a betrayal to thwart._

 _What?_ Smith demanded as his body walked down a hallway that looked pristine and into another room where several forms lay in bloody heaps. Most of them looked to be staff, but a few held firearms. The security troops had tried but they had been overwhelmed and torn to pieces by brute force. _Yeah,_ _I can see_ _you are so benevolent and good._ The irony in Smith's voice could have cut steel.

 _None of these are lost. These will reform into higher forms._ Mezner said quietly. _With beings like us, death is not the end like it is with humans._ He paused as one of the security troops twitched a little. _Ah, this one yet_ _has the barest spark of life inside her_ _._ Smith's body knelt down beside the security troop and laid a hand on the woman's head. "Don't move." The other said through Smith. "I will help you."

"Who?" The woman said and then she screamed as the virus flowed into her. Smith gagged silently as the woman's body was encased in odd gray material that looked _wrong_. It wasn't like a warframe. Not quite. It seemed to be cocooning her instead of conforming to her. Her agony filled face was free of it and nothing else.

"I know it hurts." Mezner sounded comforting now. "The pain will pass. Relax, my dear. What is your name?"

"Ka… Karens..." The woman groaned out.

"You are security and fairly high rank." Mezner nodded Smith's head. "We can use you to access the security systems." Energy flared around her and her face went suddenly slack. "There." Mezner said kindly. "Better?"

"Yes, Master." The other said in a monotone.

"Don't even try, girl." Mezner chuckled sourly. "I know you will resist. It is what humans do. They flail at the unknown spouting obscenities as they struggle no matter how pointless the struggle. You will surrender to the inevitable eventually. Until then? I will keep a close eye on you."

 _It is one of the things that makes us human._ Smith snapped in his mind.

 _You will outgrow that._ Mezner replied the same way and then looked at the woman who was flexing her fingers now. "Don't bother trying to hurt me, my dear. Even if you do manage to break my controls and kill this body, I will simply shift forms. Maybe to yours. Maybe to another."

"What are you?" The woman demanded as she struggled.

"That is a very good question." Mezner replied, sounding pleased. "And the answer is? I don't know. I was seeking to understand what I was when that blasted fool Tenno tore my plans apart in Lasria. But as to introductions? You may call me Doctor Mezner."

" _Lasria_?" The woman inhaled sharply. "That... That is impossible! No matter what those crazy aliens may lie about, we _checked!_ Mezner is dead!"

"So were you, my dear." Mezner said with a snort. "And frankly? You really should stop calling the Tenno liars when it is _you_ who do 90% of the lying. They may be deluded fools, but at least they try to do what they think is right. You Americans? You simply don't _care_. The horror never touched you here. Well, now it has and I will show you all a better way."

"You..." Agent Karens struggled for a moment and then relaxed. "You cannot escape. This facility is on lockdown and we have Enferon dispensers." Smith felt hope flare at her defiant words but then the other chuckled again. "What?"

"Enferon is a powerful weapon, to be sure." Mezner said with a snort. "If such dispensers were to activate and loose as much of the gas as I fear you have, it would likely kill every infected being on these premises." So why was he still chuckling? "Unfortunately, there is only one person who can authorize such a release, since it would kill every member of his family who are residing here."

"What?" The Agent and Smith chorused that although there was no way she could hear his voice.

"Really, Agent Karens." The other inside Smith chided her gently. "Do you really think he would give up any power? Any at all? Any dictator who does so is quickly marginalized, often terminally." Smith felt his shoulders rise and fall in a shrug. "The only person who can release the dispensers is the President for Life and _he_ is busy."

 _And even if he did, would he slaughter his family?_ Smith asked despite himself.

 _In a heartbeat._ Mezner replied coldly. _You call me evil_ _and perhaps it is warranted_ _, but that man... I kill when I must, to ensure humanity's evolution._ _Those that I kill have a chance to evolve into higher forms._ **He** _kills for_ **money** _._ The sheer disgust in Mezner's words shook Smith. _His family is a disposable asset according to the minds I have sampled. There is no love there. And the little girl who calls him 'Grandpa'? She is his_ **daughter** _, not_ **granddaughter** _._

 _And I should just trust you._ Smith was stunned when Mezner laughed at him.

 _Yeah, right. You are a good one, boy._ The evil mind inside Smith's was almost paternal now. _You will do very well when you evolve and I will be very proud of you._

 _I will not help you!_ Smith screamed in his mind.

 _You don't have a choice._ Mezner touched Karens' head again and this time the cocoon like thing fell open to show her body encased from face to toes in gray metal. "And here we are, Agent. Your face will remain clear to deal with pesky retinal scanners and such. But, I do need a guard since this body is depressingly fragile and you are it. Now get up. We have work to do."

"No." Karens' face was straining as she rose to her feet.

"I know you will resist despite the pain." Mezner said through Smith. "Or maybe because of it? Hmmm." He mused. "You are will make a far better host than this one. Kneel."

The woman obediently went to her knees and the her eyes turned scared as Smith's body leaned close to her.

"No!" She begged as Smith kissed her full on the mouth.

 _Something_ passed between the two of them and Smith felt weariness sweep through him even as Karens jerked as if struck by lightning. He felt to his hands and knees gasping as the armored woman slowly rose to her feet.

"There." The woman's voice was the same, but not. The face she turned on Smith was cold, distant. "Sneaky woman. Still trying to fight back? You will learn."

"So now… you slaughter humanity." Smith wasn't sure where the strength to say that had come from. He was so tired, so cold.

"Don't be a boor." The mind inside the human woman said with a shrug. "No, I won't slaughter humanity. I am going to help them ascend to a higher purpose."

"By killing them." Smith felt a hand on the back of his head and tried to buck it off. His hands were not working right.

"That is a last resort if they insist on fighting." Mezner replied. "Hmm. The remaining virus in your body is dormant. I am not sure how. I will need to study this. I will need to keep you under wraps until I have secured the situation and then I can study this at my leisure. Get up."

Smith shook his head. He could barely _breathe_ , let alone rise. "I can't."

"So weak." Mezner sounded disappointed now. "Ah well. Ah, good." Two shadows feel over Smith, but he had no energy to look as hands grasped him. Odd feeling hands. "Bind him." Cold things snapped into place over Smith's wrists and then over his ankles. He was too weak to protest. "Bring him."

A pair of strong hands picked Smith up and carried him. All around, Smith could see misshapen forms out of the corners of his eyes, but said eyes were so heavy. He was so tired. He wanted to sleep, but he knew he couldn't. If he did, he was lost. Almira hadn't been able to teach him a lot, but she _had_ warned that it was possible to subvert Tenno energy. It took time and effort, but it was possible. The last thing Smith wanted was to be a slave to this Mezner thing, either as a human or something else.

The face that Mezner hid behind now appeared in Smith's vision for a moment as oddly gentle hands touched his scalp.

"You should sleep, boy." Mezner's voice was a bit sad now. "You need it."

"No." Smith said as firmly as he could. Not very. "Do what you will, but I will not help you willingly."

Mezner sighed and the hands holding Smith set him in a chair. The same hands then held him there effortlessly. He stared around incurious at a large room walled with monitors and assorted machinery that Smith did not know. None of it looked anything like Orokin technology. Wait… One thing stood out. A large golden monitor against one wall.

"Yes." Mezner said softly. "The Empress was magnanimous enough to give him the means to contact her at need, but even she got tired of his constant blather, so she stopped answering his calls." As Smith looked around, he could see a dozen human forms working on various things in the semi darkness around the room. He couldn't out any of them clearly. From how they rippled in his sight? He was glad of that.

"Where are we?" Smith asked despite himself.

"This is one of the Situation Rooms." Mezner said with a shrug of the female shoulders he controlled. "None of us have the codes to open the others, but this one was open for maintenance. Convenient, no?" Smith's eyes narrowed and Mezner laughed. "Yes, it is a trap of some kind. I am not sure who set it up, or how many but we have found several sneaky things here. One of which would have activated the Enferon dispensers and killed us all. Pity one of the early converts to our cause was the tech who put it in. He told us how to deactivate it and prevent remote activation of those nasty things."

"Pity." Smith couldn't do much of anything but sit as Mezner turned and started giving orders.

"Just rest, boy." Mezner said gently. "When we are done with this, I will see about reviving the virus in you and setting you on your path to greatness."

"Don't want to be great." Smith said sourly. "I just want to be _me_."

"Ah well. To quote the Rolling Stones, 'We can't always get what we want'." Mezner said with a snort as one monitor lit up. "Ah, someone wishes to talk. I wonder who _that_ might be?"

Smith was prepared for almost anything, but the face that appeared on the screen was not anyone he expected. The woman was no one he knew. She was old, her face wrinkled with the lines of time and anger. She scowled at the room but before she could speak, Mezner did.

"I am afraid your spy met a misfortune, Mrs Clinton." Mezner said evenly. "He wound up in my care and I will take better care of him than you apparently do with your tools."

"Who are you?" The woman snapped. The voice was familiar. The angry woman from before Smith had woken here.

"At the moment, I am inhabiting the body of Special Agent Fran Karens." The other replied evenly. "But you make call me Robert Mezner."

"Is this some kind of _joke_?" The woman demanded angrily.

"Hardly." Mezner replied with a shrug. "You set these events in motion, but you lost control of them when you stole this boy and dropped him in here." He waved a languid hand at Smith who quailed. "I am also afraid that what you want isn't here. He didn't keep them here."

" _What?_ " The other demanded.

"I know what you wanted and I know why." Mezner said quietly. "I can even understand it. Revenge is very human. After what he did to your husband, I would be angry too."

"Where are they?" The woman snarled.

"I don't know." Mezner admitted. "None of the minds I have touched know where he hid your husband's bones or the others he took and tortured for his amusement. The only bodies we have found belong to the Obamas." The other froze and Mezner nodded. "And yes, he had the grandchildren flayed and stuffed too."

"That… evil..." The woman turned so pale that Smith feared for her for a moment. Then reality surged and he scowled at the woman who had started this current mess. "Even the Nazis had limits!"

"Oh, don't be like that. Don't compare _him_ to _them_." Mezner said with a sigh. "That is an insult to the Nazis. For all of their evil, they were efficient. He isn't."

"What do you want?"

"You gave me everything I could have possibly wanted." Mezner said with another shrug. "I hold the White House and its communication hub. I cannot use any of it without proper codes, but I _can_ deny to anyone and everyone. Which is what I think I will do."

"It is _mine!_ " The woman's face flushed angrily. Far from flustered, Mezner just sighed.

"Don't spike your blood pressure, Mrs. Clinton. That is bad for one of your years." Mezner said with a frown. "As for it being yours? Isn't it you politicians who say 'Possession is 9/10 of the law'?" Mezner smiled widely as the woman on the screen glared at him. "You may come anytime you wish. You may send troops anytime you wish, but this facility is mine and the surrounding city will soon be mine."

"What?" Smith and the woman on the screen both gasped that.

"You may be sneaky, underhanded and fairly good at what you do." Mezner said mildly. "But you have no idea how to stop something that _cannot_ be." The female form he inhabited smiled at the woman on the screen. "Tell me something, how are _you_ feeling?"

"What?" The old woman demanded. "I feel fine!"

"Fever, chills, uncontrolled rages, all that." Mezner smiled as the woman on the screen blanched. "Thank you, Mrs Clinton. I am sure you have spread the virus nicely already, but if you don't mind? I have humanity's evolution to see to." He paused and then smiled wider. "Have a nice day."

The screen cut off and Mezner turned to look at Smith who was staring at him in horror. The female form shrugged again.

"There are many things you can go with the lowest bidder on." Mezner chuckled evilly as Smith stared a wildly around, looking for some kind of escape. There wasn't one.

" _Hazmat containment_ should never be one of them."


	17. Chapter 17

**Twisty Patterns**

He was doomed.

Smith was doomed, he knew that. Here he was, surrounded by Infested, stuck in a hole under the control of a madman, and to top it all off? He was so tired, her finally couldn't keep his eyes open. He felt hands lifting him and setting him on something that then surrounded him. It felt squishy, but he couldn't even protest because something found his mouth and forced its way in. Whatever was happening now, he didn't want to see, so he screwed his eyes shut. Dizziness swept through him and then warmth.

"I know you are tired boy." The voice of the woman who housed the mind he hated with every fiber of his being sounded from nearby. "But I do want to see if I can restart the virus in you. This will hurt, but the pain will pass."

That was the only warning he had before agony tore through his skull. He screamed but when he did, whatever was in his throat forced its way further down. He gagged, but the pain continued, diverting his attention from that.

He could do nothing but ride the waves of agony until something odd happened. He was suddenly floating above it. He could still feel it, but it couldn't touch him. He opened his eyes and stared around wildly and stopped short as the scene resolved around him into a golden plain.

"Hello." The voice was familiar. He spun to see the holographic Talia from the future smiling sadly at him. "Do I call you Smit or Smith?"

"Wha-?" Smith begged as he fall to his knees. Warm arms took hold of him and held him as he sobbed.

"Did you really think _Hayden_ of all people would put such horror in you with no safeguards whatsoever?" Talia asked quietly. "He isn't very nice, but he is not stupid. You spiked his plans when you absconded with Almira. Well done."

"But… You serve him." Smith said weakly.

"Not by choice." He felt her shrug. "He isn't the Hayden I knew so long ago and my own experiences twisted me in my own ways. Hopefully, that future will never happen now. I can help you, but it is a one time thing. I don't have enough energy to do it more than once."

"Energy?" Smith asked, confused.

"Yes." Talia had a smile in her voice now. "I fed you energy to keep you alive. My energy. It did keep you alive, but it also let me hitchhike a bit of myself into you. A bit unethical, to be sure, to do so without telling you but considering how things have turned out? Might be for the best."

"Kill me!" Smith begged. "Please! I cannot be Infested! I don't want to be Infested!"

"You won't be." Talia promised him. "Like I said, Hayden was a planner."

"I don't understand." Smith pleaded.

"I know." Talia sighed deeply. "You won't see me again. If you see my younger self, try to warn her about the database if you can?" Smith stared at her, but he was blinded by golden light. He looked away form her and shut his eyes. It grew so bright that he could see it through his eyelids. He felt a hug. "You have had a hard life, boy. You have a lot to learn."

"But I am going to die here!" Smith protested.

"No, you are not." Another familiar voice. Trinity? "Thank you." She said to someone. "I have him."

"He is a good kid." Talia's voice was fading. "He didn't deserve any of this."

"No, he didn't." The warm arms were gone and the light faded. He felt bereft for a moment, but then a hand found his. He stared up at a Trinity Prime warframe as she knelt in front of him. Trinity nodded to him. "You are in deep shit, boy."

"Tell me something I don't know." Smith tried to snap that, but he was too exhausted to muster the energy.

"The mind that held you in thrall is incredibly intelligent and utterly amoral." Trinity was quiet, almost reflective. "That said, he is not omniscient any more than he was when he was mortal. He still makes mistakes and they still bite him on the ass. This is one such mistake."

"I don't understand." Smith was too tired and too hurt to bandy words. "She said I wasn't going to die, but… I am to be Infested."

"Yes." Smith felt this world crumple at Trinity's calm agreement, but then she spoke again. "But that isn't the end for someone like you."

"I will be a monster!" Smith protested. "A murdering monster!"

"For you, it will be a choice." Trinity was still quiet. "And no matter what Mezner thinks, you will not be under his command."

"But..." Smith felt something pass into him from Trinity. It felt wonderful. It swept through him, revitalizing him in ways he couldn't define. He opened his eyes and stared at the warframe. The landscape around them was a misty silver instead of golden. "Why are you being so nice to me?" He asked plaintively. "What do you want?"

"I want to save Talia." Trinity said softly. "Nyx shared what she saw in your mind with the rest of us. She is not perfect, it is possible to trick her, but it will be hard. Almira has been incredibly open with us. A very brave girl. She knows that if you two succeed, she will in all likelihood cease to be."

"She explained." Smith bowed his head, feeling his eyes burn. "She didn't deserve this either."

"Neither of you did." Trinity took a deep breath before continuing. "She told us what you chose. That you chose not to be a monster. We understand that feeling well." She took hold of his other hand now. "So? We will help you. You are almost done. One more test."

Smith stared at her, dumbfounded. Then he slowly forced himself to relax. She nodded in approval as he folded his knees into what he felt was a proper semblance of her stance.

"I don't feel worthy, Tenno." Smith admitted. "I have never been a good man."

"And how many of _us_ do you think were 'good'?" Trinity asked, her head tilted to the side in honest curiosity.

"I don't know." Smith admitted. "Never thought about it."

"Thing is, if you do this, there will be no going back." Trinity warned him. "We haven't had a lot of aspirants so we have tailor made each set of tests to them. There is no time for us to do that now. Good news is that when Nyx scanned your mind, she found that you are almost done. We have a test for you." Smith slowly nodded. "The choice, and your future, is yours."

She gave his hands a squeeze as he pondered her words. For so long, his life had been nothing but a scrabble to survive.

"What do I do?" Smith asked quietly.

"You have faced your darkest fears." Trinity was formal now. "You have faced your weaknesses. Now you must face yourself."

"Is it wrong that I am afraid?" Smith asked. Trinity shook her head. "What do I do?"

"Be yourself."

Without warning, the world fell away and Smith found himself standing in a small room. He stood on a filthy carpet, surrounded by trash and assorted debris. An equally filthy couch sat against one wall and on it, a human lay snoring. He swallowed hard as he saw his face on the human. The snores cut off and the man sat up, eyeing Smith with disdain.

"Go away." The other said with a groan. "I am busy." He pulled some kind of headband over his eyes and focused on something that only he could see.

"Too busy to clean up after yourself, I see." Smith said with a snort.

"Life doesn't matter." The other replied. "Only the Game matters."

"Game?" Smith asked, incredulous. "How long have you been playing this game?"

"Who cares?" The other declared. "Hah!" He exclaimed. "Got the reward for that jump!"

Smith shook his head slowly as he picked his way to the door. It opened under his fingers, but there was nothing beyond it, just darkness. He shook his head again. Something told him that if he passed that door, bad thing would happen. He turned back to the other him.

"I remember this." Smith said softly. "I was playing a game when the Grineer attacked. Not this kind of game, but I was distracted. If I hadn't been..."

"You wouldn't have changed anything. You never do." The other slurred a bit and then snickered. "Got you, you filthy bot!" He shook his head. "Nothing you do changes anything. Nothing you do will change anything. Take your fun where you can. The universe owes you that at least."

"The universe?" Smith asked, thinking hard. "No. The universe owes us nothing. It simply is as it always has been. Life can be hard, which is why I tried to escape it so often. Games, drugs, all sorts of other things. No more." He stepped across filth to the couch and tore the headband from the other him's head. "I may die doing what I believe I must, but I will _not_ sit by and watch horror happen again. _Never again!_ " He growled the last and the other him just stared at him before vanishing. "I will at the very least try!"

The room disappeared. He stood on the silver plain, eyes streaming tears as he remembered his mother, his father, his sister. All screaming as they died and he could only flee. Then so much pain. Living hand to mouth, running from Grineer, being betrayed by the Arbiters… The list went on and on. Not all bad though. The future Mag's kindness. Seeing Almira smile had been worth it too.

Finally, the litany of memories ended and he stood there, empty.

"Seeing ourselves as we truly are is one of the most painful things anyone can endure." Hayden Tenno's voice was soft, reflective.

"I am needed." Smith said softly.

"Yes." Hayden agreed.

"Command me." Smith slowly knelt, feeling right for the first time in a long, long time.

"Mezner is not a fool, unfortunately." Hayden sighed. "We cannot get into where you are quickly. We can twist what he is doing."

"And that will stop him?" Smith asked.

"One way or anther, this will be stopped." Hayden said grimly. "The US President has asked our aid to cleanse the White House before he infection spreads too far. He doesn't want to use a nuke on Washington DC."

"Why not?" Smith asked, curious. "He doesn't strike me as one who values life."

"We are not sure." Hayden admitted. "If we can determine the reason Talia would likely appreciate it since she really hates learning things _after_ she is sworn to people. But the priority must be the outbreak."

"There is a story there." Smith said slowly. Hayden nodded. "No time now. Orders?"

"Mezner is trying to make you into a slave." Hayden said softly. "The same thing he did to me. Choose your path."

"I am not brave." Smith said softly. "I prefer to hide, but Tenno do not hide."

"Bravery has its place." Hayden shrugged. "But if there is a choice between dying bravely or running the fuck away? I will run if there is any choice."

"I have changed."Smith stared down at his hands. They were a transparent green color, a soothing color. One he remembered his mother liking. "I am no longer who I was."

"No." Hayden did not press.

"Smit died when he was infected." The new Tenno said quietly. "Smith died when Mezner did whatever he did. I must take another name."

"I can't help you with that." Hayden grinned at the other's expression. "We had many who took names based on their warframes."

"Can I talk to Mag for a moment?" The green transparent form asked. Hayden nodded and then Mag stood there, her posture unsure. "Mag? I ask you to name me."

" _Me?_ " Mag demanded. "What the hell?"

"You are who you are and you are honest about who you are." The new Tenno said quietly. "You are not nice, but hey? Nice doesn't work for what Tenno must do." Mag stared at him for a long moment and then nodded.

"Don't you start following me around like a lost puppy." Mag snarled. "Nikis was bad enough." Hayden looked as if he had swallowed a bug as he fought laughter and Mag snarled at him. "You hush!"

"I don't know what the future will hold, Mag." The green Tenno said with a smile of his own. "But no, I won't follow you around if you do not wish it."

"Stephen." Mag said after a moment. "You look like a Stephen to me." Stephen nodded with a smile. Hayden nodded as well.

"Hail, Stephen. Brother."

"Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, Mag." The newly named Tenno felt odd as Hayden called him 'brother'. He had never had a brother and his sister had been very small. She had only been starting to talk when she had died. "Brother." Stephen worked the word around in his mind and found it good. He nodded. "What now, First Tenno? How can I fight this horror?"

"As Tenno always have, Brother Stephen." Hayden said mildly. "With blades, brains, brawn and when all else fails, sheer dogged stubbornness."

"But I have no warframe." Stephen said slowly. He was not expecting Mag _and_ Hayden to laugh in unison. "What?"

"Yes, you do and _Mezner_ gave it to you."

* * *

With that, Stephen found himself lying on his back on a pod of some kind of flesh. He felt both right and wrong as he jumped to his feet and ran. He was so fast that the dark forms surrounding him had no way to stop him as he darted through corridors, some lit, some dark.

"What?" Mezner's voice faded behind Stephen as he ran. "Stop!"

Stephen did not reply to that. He opened his mind. _I am loose. Orders?_

 _A strike team is less than ten minutes out._ Trinity sounded upset now. _Frost demanded to led the team after what he saw in your memories._

 _That wasn't him._ Stephen saw dark forms blocking the corridor ahead of him Instead of plowing through them, he turned a little and giggled inside as he ran on the wall just far enough to pass the dumbfounded looking Infested. _I can learn to_ **like** _this!_

 _You haven't seen anything yet._ Mag purred in his mind. _Stay alive, brother! We are coming._

 _I will do my best, Sister. I will also see if I can keep their attention._ As he ran, Stephen scooped up a weapon off the ground. A quick glance showed some kind of rifle he had no idea what to call. But something things seemed straightforward. It had a trigger and a muzzle. It _also_ had a safety, for which he as grateful as he slid through another intersection filled with Infested. They howled and started to pursue him, only to pause as he turned the rifle on them and fired a few shots as he ran. The unfamiliar weapon bucked in his hands and the shots went wild, but the Infested all charged after him.

He ran though a large room and paused. Why was a door open to the side? It was brightly lit, unlike the others. Maybe a trap? Part of him screamed to keep moving, but if he could get inside and shut the door, it was likely a good hiding place. He was well ahead of the Infested pack, although he could her them closing.

He ran to the door and peered inside. Some kind of lab or trophy room. The door slid shut under his fingers and then it clicked locked. He paused. Had he done that?

"You have been a bad boy." Mezner's stolen female voice sounded from nowhere as a mountain of ugly looking flesh seemed to coalesce out of nowhere. Stephen did not speak, he bolted to the side as a tentacle swept down at him. "Come on, boy. This will only end one way and you know it."

To answer, Stephen leveled the rifle on the fleshy thing and fired. Four shots came out before the weapon clicked empty.

"That was rude." Mezner said sourly and a tentacle slammed towards Stephen. He rolled out of the way, seeking another weapon. There didn't seem to be… He felt something stir in his hand and he stared as a long blade simply appeared in it. It was huge, that blade and both sides of the massive weight of metal glowed with energy. He held it in both hands and it was a part of him as the tentacle came in again. It was child's play to step to the side and strike. Mezner screamed in pain as the blade passed through the tentacle like it was made of butter. "You foolish little-! _Die!_ "

Five tentacles swept the area now, but Stephen was in motion, striking when he could, dodging for all he was worth when he couldn't. He took a glancing blow that thew him against one wall, but to his shock, the wall gave way and he was flying further.

"What?" Mezner demanded as Stephen rolled to his feet in a darkened room. Could the tentacles reach him? It didn't seem so. A gout of ghastly looking green ooze flew in, but Stephen avoided it easily. "What is that room? It isn't on any plans!"

Stephen stared at the hole he had come in through as he rolled to his feet. Then he glanced around the room. No other exits. He froze as he saw a humanoid form, but it didn't move and the dim light that the green ooze gave off showed it to be a statue of some kind. More green ooze flew in and Stephen took cover behind Statue but... Whatever it was, it wasn't a statue, Stephen realized. The human with orange hair was encased in something that looked like plastic and his face held horror that was stilled forever. There was something around his neck and Stephen felt his guts turn to ice as he saw a plague with an inscription.

"Donald Trump. The man who would be President."


	18. Chapter 18

**Truths**

 _Hayden!_ Stephen snapped as he dodged yet another spray of ooze in the limited space. _I just found a body in what looks for all the world like a trophy room! The plague with it says it is_ **Trump!**

 _What?_ Hayden demanded. _That is not possible! The man is_ **talking** _..._ He broke off and then cursed vilely. _Talia!_ Horrified realization swept over the link from all the Tenno, followed by grim understanding. _We have all been played._

 _WARN HER!_ Stephen screamed as some of the ooze connected with his leg and pain tore through him. _I will hold out. Help her!_

 _We are almost there!_ Frost said sharply into the link. _Loki and Excalibur will ward the Empress._

 _If she dies, this was all for naught!_ Stephen begged as one of the tentacles slid in and grabbed hold of him before he could dodge. His blade swung and the tentacle retreated, but then came back, knocking the blade from his hand. _Brother, please!_

 _Everyone else is converging on the meeting site, Brother._ Hayden said quietly. _I am here, even though she told me not to be._

 _Better to beg forgiveness, huh Hayden?_ Mag asked snidely. _That doesn't make any sense, Stephen. He is crazy, but he has always been crazy._

 _Little… busy… Mag…_ Stephen grated out as he forced the pincers that held him apart just enough to wiggle free.

 _Right._ Mag snarled. _Entering the building now. We have a fix on your position. Moving to engage._

 _Everyone is infected._ Stephen said sadly. _Even the kids._

 _Welcome to our world._ Frost sounded genuinely upset and Stephen felt his heart break at the pain in his brother's words.

 _I will try to keep his attention. Hurry._ Stephen fought back a scream as another tentacle swept in and pinioned him to the floor.

"Now, what did you think you were doing?" The voice of Mezner's host said sourly as she strode into view, shaking her head. "What the _hell_?" Mezner actually seemed shocked as the host stared from Stephen to the statue. "That... That is not possible."

"Why?" Stephen tried to break free of the grips that held him, but he had no leverage and the pressure was increasing. Even a warframe wouldn't be proof against such forever. "Isn't it an American saying that goes 'if you are not cheating, you are not trying'?"

"For many, yes. According to Agent Karens' memories, he has lived far longer than a human should by using technology that no one else has access to." Mezner replied absently, staring at the statue. "He is paranoid, delusional and maybe a bit past the borderline of sociopath, but he is the man who he says he is. So who is _this_?"

"Looks like _everyone_ has been played for fools." Stephen was still struggling as Mezner looked at him. "Wouldn't be the first time politicians lied to people, now would it?"

"Hmm." Mezner made a noise of consternation. "Good point." He reached out tot touch the statue and shook his head. "Some kind of polymer. No life inside it. Huh." He mused. "It is old. Twenty, thirty years." The body he inhabited snorted in sour amusement. "Agent Karens is not handling this revelation well. She is actually gibbering."

"Can't really blame her." Stephen said as he struggled. "Being possessed is hell on the psyche."

"You have changed." Mezner turned from the statue to eye Stephen. "The outer form is my work and not finished yet. But you are different."

"Have I?" Stephen kept struggling as the tentacles pulled him out straight.

"Yes, you have." Mezner sounded upset now. "What have you done, boy? What do I have to fix _now_?"

"I don't need fixing." Stephen said quietly as a familiar looking dark shadow entered the room behind Mezner. The hoops on the head were a dead giveaway. "And _you_ just ran out of time."

"What?" Mezner spun, only to have to duck to avoid meeting an ax. Frost's hands blurred as his small axes arced in graceful patterns in front of him, easily barring the way with a barrier only a fool would try to cross. "No!"

Mezner tried to flee, but Frost was blocking the hole that Stephen had torn in the wall. What was more? From his posture, the older Tenno was _pissed!_

"You are going _nowhere_." Frost said sternly as sickening sounds came from outside. Mezner recoiled as Frost advanced. "Every time you rise, the Tenno _will_ find you and stop you."

"No!" Mezner screamed as Frost charged him. The battle that ensued was mercifully short. The Tenno's axes tore through whatever Mezner had clad the woman in and she fell, gasping as her life fled from many wounds. She stared up at the Tenno and her face held relief.

"He is trying to get away." The woman said weakly as Frost moved to cut the now limp tentacles off Stephen. "Stop him!" She begged.

"We will." Frost cut through the tentacle and held out hand to Stephen who took it. Frost lifted the newest Tenno to his feet effortlessly, but paused when Stephen went to his knees beside the dying human. She as crying and he took hold of her hand.

"I didn't know." Karen sobbed. "I didn't _know_. He was so bad. So wrong, but he was our _President_!"

"It is not your fault." Stephen found himself saying. "You are hardly the first human to be tricked by those in positions of authority. Rest now, Agent Fran Karens. We will cleanse this place."

"I..." Karens stared up a Stephen's faceplate, smiled and died. Stephen shook his head and slowly reached out to shut her staring eyes. He felt a hand on his shoulder and was too tired to even wince.

"Hold tight to your humanity, brother." Frost said heavily. "I tried myself and I failed according to Nyx and Hayden. I hurt you."

"It wasn't you." Stephen laid a hand on the one that gripped his shoulder. "We need to keep that horror from happening. I don't understand." He complained as he rose with Frost's help, green fluid falling from rents in his warframe. "Trump was blamed for everything that happened. His name was reviled with Mezner's. Is this really him?"

"Not sure." Frost reached out to touch the statue and shook his head. "That human has been crazy for as long as I have been Tenno, but _this_ is human too according to my scans. Admittedly, I am not the best at that. Trinity?" He called and Trinity bustled in, the rifle in her hands vanishing as she swept towards Stephen who shook his head.

"I am all right." Stephen said as Trinity started scanning him. He stiffened as she growled at him.

" _Me_ doctor, _you_ patient." Trinity said with a snap. "Stand there and shut up." Stephen cast an incredulous gaze at Frost who shrugged, but remained silent as Trinity worked.

"Yes, Ma'am." Butter might not have melted in Stephen's mouth as Frost smothered a laugh.

"Don't encourage her." Nyx moved in next, fully armed, but with no weapons in hand. Instead, a powerful light shone from her hand. It swept around the room, picking out things here and there. Finally, it settled on the statue. "Well, well, well."

"Did you stop him from jumping to another host?" Stephen asked as Trinity worked.

"No way to do that that I know of." Nyx admitted. "But I _did_ track him. Sooner or later, he will run out of bodies to hide in. Our perimeter is secure. None of the Infected have left the premises or will."

"The woman who apparently put me here may or may not be infected." Stephen started, only to pause as Nyx nodded. "You know?"

" _Someone_ breaks into our embassy, steals a guest and we are just going to _ignore_ that?" Trinity demanded as she finished whatever she was doing. "Of _course_ we investigated and we are not her. We don't stop when we run into a bunch of idiot politics. She really thought she could run a coup with Talia in town. Moron."

"Human politics and human laws matter little to us." Frost said severely. "Especially when our kin and friends are threatened."

"Calm down, Frost." Nyx said with a sigh. "It didn't happen and it won't. Stephen?" She asked as Stephen brushed Trinity's hands aside and stepped to Frost. No one moved as Stephen held out a hand to the elder Tenno.

"What happened to me will leave scars." Stephen said quietly. "But you are not the one who hurt me and if I have any choice at all, you won't ever become him."

"If I do, I want your word you will act." Frost said heavily. Both female Tenno gasped, but Stephen just nodded. "Looking at the pictures and feeling disgust makes me feel human again. But I am not and I won't be, ever again."

"You are more human than Mezner is." Stephen nodded to the fallen human woman. " _You_ feel. Him? If he does, he has forgotten _why_ he felt."

"Perhaps." Frost said philosophically. "We have two other teams cleansing the facility. Everyone else is moving to protect Talia. Hayden is there as you heard."

"Talia is not going to be happy with him." Nyx said with a frown in her voice. "But she will understand." She reached down and picked something up. A long mass of metal that Stephen recognized. "Nice blade. Yours?" She extended it hilt first to Stephen who took it. It shimmered as he held it and then it glistened as he held it.

"I guess." Stephen shrugged as he eyed the blade. It was long and instead of two edges as he had thought originally, it had one and the blade was slightly curved. It had a round guard of some kind and a long handle suited for two hands. "This just appeared when I needed a blade." Stephen said quietly. "Where did it come from?"

"It came from you. It happens with some of us." Nyx reassured him. "Usually at great need, our warframes provide us with the tools we need to survive. Hayden had it happen when he was infected in Lasria. A few others have done similar things, although that is the first time I have seen a sword. You will probably be bale to summon or dismiss it at need. Which is good. It is hard to hide something like that. See if you can holster it."

"Holster?" Stephen asked, incredulous.

"Swing it to your back." Frost clarified. Stephen did as instructed, mystified. It slid up against the back of his warframe and stuck there like it was glued across his back. The tip did not reach the floor, which was probably a good thing. "There."

"And… how do I get it off?" Stephen asked, eyeing the hilt as it poked up from his shoulder.

"Pull on the hilt. This is normal." Nyx reassured him and then she chuckled. "Well, for us it is."

Stephen frowned, but did as instructed again and the blade came loose in his hand, resting easily as he stared at it. It didn't seem to weigh anything at all.

"This is not possible." Stephen said weakly. "This blade has to weigh at least fifty kilograms. IT doesn't seem to weight anything."

"It is part of you." Nyx said reasonably. "Do you normally sense how much your head weighs? Or you arm?" Stephen slowly shook his head. "You will likely be able to use it fairly well as it is, but some training won't go amiss."

"Rhino's ax is like that." Trinity was examining the encased body and shaking her head. "This doesn't make any sense. Every scan matches the files I have of the president's DNA and this human has been dead for at least twenty years. I would need to do a full workup to be more precise."

"How is he preserved?" Stephen asked, curious despite himself as Nyx drew an odd looking weapon and flame shot form it to scorch Agent Karens' remains. Stephen nodded as he realized it was a compact flamethrower. Just the thing to remove traces of infection.

"Again, not sure." Trinity's hands were glowing golden now and Stephen inhaled as small golden things shot from her hands to swirl around the room. They looked like some kind of writing?

"Don't mind her." Nyx said with a chuckle. "She is a showoff." Trinity flipped a middle finger at Nyx who chuckled again. "And temperamental."

"What now?" Stephen asked. "Do we fight here or go help Hayden?"

"We should search as we purge." Nyx said quietly. "We may not get another chance to get in here and if the US President _is_ pulling some kind of long term con, then his house of cards is about to come tumbling down. Talia won't stand for half of what he has done in the last decade. No chance of her taking him as a vassal if everything is a lie."

"We need to protect Talia..." Stephen started, but paused as all three of the other Tenno in the room nodded.

"No one is doubting you now, brother." Frost reassured him. "But with Hayden, Loki, Excalibur, Vauban and half a dozen others surrounding her, it would take a miracle or a nuke to hurt her." Stephen drew in a breath but Frost chuckled. "And we have radiation detectors that can sense nuclear warheads through any shielding the US possesses. She is safe, if probably very annoyed right now."

"Okay." Stephen slumped a bit and then laid a hand on his sword hilt. "Lead on?"

"I will stay here." Trinity mused. "This bears further investigation." The other three nodded. "If you find any other oddities, let me know."

Nyx had bathed the corpse on the floor completely with flames, now she was finishing up the remains of the tentacles. In moments, the horrific things were gone, leaving only painful memories. Whatever was in her flamethrower worked like a charm. Nothing was left of the bodies when she holstered it and laid her hand on the hilt of a curved sword at her waist. It looked kind of like Stephen's sword, if smaller. Stephen drew his blade as Frost drew his axes. Then he looked at Nyx and then at her blade. She nodded.

"This was made for me by a master sword smith who came to live with us. He wanted a challenge, we gave him one." Nyx chuckled in memory. "No matter how high tech, firearms will always run out of ammunition or power." This..." She tapped the hilt of her weapon. "This will never run out of ammunition."

"Will it break?" Stephen asked as he held his sword a bit awkwardly. He shifted his stance and the other two Tenno nodded in approval as his sword felt more balanced.

"Possibly." Nyx said with shrug. "Then again, it is not made of metal, so the stressing pressure would have to be enough to crack a continent." She led the way out into the large room, and another Tenno was bathing the huge monstrosity that had challenged Stephen in flames. "Banshee?"

"Almost done here." That _was_ a Banshee warframe, if covered in soot and other things that Stephen did not want to speculate on. "Where is Trinity?" She inquired.

'She is investigating the oddities we found in the room." Nyx replied. "How are the others doing?"

"Physically, easy." Banshee slumped a little. "Not a lot of the Infected are armed or capable of doing damage. That doesn't stop them from hurling themselves at us to try and swamp us with sheer numbers."

"And there are kids." Stephen said quietly. Banshee nodded. "We need to end this. Nyx? You said you have a track on the main mind?"

"I do." Nyx said with a feral growl. Banshee drew a pair of ornate daggers and moved to join the trio.

"Then let's end this."

* * *

A few minutes later

Stephen had always known that Tenno were powerful. He had never seen one that he knew of before his adventures here had begun, but he had been hearing tales of Tenno for as long as he could remember. Betrayers, destroyers, warrior gods made flesh and metal. Living weapons.

And here he was, fighting beside them.

Blades flashed as horrifically altered human shaped forms charged in waves. Some bore crude weapons of their own, other had bare hands or the start of claws. The Tenno did not bother with range weaponry. The cramped corridors did not allow for long sight lines and the waves of enemies made the chance of friendly fire far too great. Stephen pulled strikes several times that might have hit kin and he saw others do the same.

Finally, another warframe strode to stand by Stephen when they had a moment to catch their breath. He nodded to Stephen as the new Tenno shook his blade to clear the muck off it.

"We need to move faster. The US President must have a self destruct of some kind in here. Probably a nuke." Stephen looked at the other and Frost sighed.

"Aren't _you_ a ray of sunshine, Volt?" The golden hoops of his helmet were coated in muck as bad or worse than Stephen's blade. "You may be able to outrun any of us in open field, but this is not open field."

"No." Volt agreed. "But I may have a solution." He nodded to Stephen who looked at him curiously. He swung a hand and an oddly shaped field of energy appeared in front of him. Then Stephen felt his eyes bulge as the warframe picked up the shield and it shrank. "I will hold them in place, you kill them."

Stephen looked at Frost who shrugged and held up his axes. Far too short to reach over a warframe _and_ a shield. Nyx nodded as well. Stephen took a deep breath and nodded. Volt started off, his shield blocking all the way across the corridor. Stephen's blade morphed again to be straight with two edges. This time, he took it mostly in stride.

"Nothing fancy." Volt said quietly as the next wave of Infected charged and hit his shield. "Back and forth, side to side."

Stephen did as instructed and the wave of Infected seemed to melt in front of him.

"There!" Nyx was beside Stephen, pointing at a lone, small form that stood by an armored door, hammering at it. Stephen felt this hear lurch as he realized it was Debra, the girl Mezner had enslaved first.

"No!" The little girl's voice shouted even as her flesh pulsed with the evidence of her enslaver. "I am so close!"

"And you go no further." Stephen needed no urging. He ran past Volt's shield and sliced once. The girl fell, bisected. Her face held horror that eased into sadness.

"My… My sisters..." A feeble hand waved towards the door before falling to lie still.

"Sisters?" Stephen asked Nyx as the other Tenno came up, Banshee with her flamethrower gushing great gouts of fuel to bathe the horror in fire. "Nyx?"

"That wasn't him." Nyx said softly. "He tried to flee and there are no more infected anywhere nearby for him to inhabit. He ran out of energy seeking one and is gone. I sense human minds behind that door. Odd minds."

"Shall we?" Stephen asked as he hefted his sword.

"Wait." Trinity stepped past the crowd to touch the door. "No need to waste your strength."

"And you want to show off." Nyx said sourly.

"Hush, Nyx." Trinity said with a grunt as the door gave a click and opened. Every single Tenno froze as they saw a line of human girls standing inside the door as if in formation at some kind of attention. _All_ had Debra's face!

"We live to serve." The mass of children spoke in creepy unison.

"We serve to live."


	19. Chapter 19

**Fundamental**

Stephen froze as he saw what had to be small girl clones standing in front of him. Who could blame him after what he had endured with clones before?

Nyx was beside him in an instant, Frost likewise. Neither spoke or moved, but both stood beside him as he regained his composure. These were not Grineer. None of them were armed. But...

Stephen stared at the girls. Each wore an odd garment that was half smock and half gown. It covered them for modesty purposes, but no more. None of them had hair. Instead, odd glistening metal skull caps covered their heads from back to forehead. Debra hadn't had one of those and she had possessed long hair. So… what?

"Who are you?" Trinity asked when none of the girls moved or spoke.

"You are not authorized for this location. Leave now.." The girls responded in unison. Stephen felt his word lurch as all of them, he counted ten, shook their heads in unison. Trinity sighed and held up her hand. Golden things swirled from her hand and each girl stiffened as a bit of it flew into her.

"Trinity." Nyx said softly. "What I sense..."

"I know." Trinity said heavily." They um… Damn him." She slumped a bit. "I have deactivated the defenses. We don't have long, but we need evidence to bring to Talia."

"They are clones." Stephen gulped. Nyx and Trinity nodded. "Who did this?"

"There is only one person who could have done this and hidden it here. _We_ have cloning tech, but we are very careful about how we use it. We worried about tech theft, apparently not enough." Trinity said softly as she moved into the room to touch one of the girls who stood there silent, eyes blank. "This… This is not just cloning. This is mind control at its worst." Stephen went stiff and she nodded. "None of these girls have minds of their own. They are being controlled by a central computer. I need to access that."

"Any more defenses?" Frost said tightly.

"No." Trinity sighed as she released the girl she had been touching. "He probably didn't think anyone could get past the outer door or this chamber. This is the greeting party. There are more."

"All kids?" Stephen grated. Nyx laid a hand on his arm as Trinity nodded.

"Calm, Stephen." Nyx said gently. "Be calm. We _will_ stop this. This kind of thing is forbidden by Imperial Law. This is just the evidence we need to take to Talia." She paused as Trinity shook her head. "Trinity?"

"If we take the kids away from their controller, they will die." Trinity said quietly. "If this is what I fear, none of them will survive."

"Trinity?" Nyx asked as Trinity started forward, the kids forming an eerie vanguard around her.

"The place is not big." Trinity had tears in her voice as she marched forward. "But you need to see. I… Nyx…." She gulped as she passed a threshold and froze in place. Nyx moved to flank her, Stephen and Frost just behind them. Banshee and Volt stayed at the entrance.

Stephen froze in place with Nyx as they reached Trinity and saw what lay within the room she was looking into. Two dozen hospital style beds sat against the walls. All were occupied. Half by boys, half by girls. All were connected to machinery that Stephen did not begin to understand. Tubes tan into their arms, their mouths, other places he didn't look at too closely. All wore the same metal headpiece that the ones around Trinity did. No, not all. _One_ did not. That boy was thrashing in the bed as something metal wrapped around his skull. Trinity snarled something vile, pulled her pistol and fired a careful shot. She was at the boy's bedside even as the machine that had been wrapping his head in metal sparked and fell away. None of the other kids reacted. Indeed, none of them even opened their eyes!

"Don't move." Trinity said sternly as the boy stared at her. She carefully pulled something off his face and took hold of at the tube that ran into his mouth. "Try not to barf." She said conversationally as she slowly tugged the tube out. The boy jerked, but did not react otherwise as Trinity tossed the tube away. She reached down to start unstrapping him. "You are not a clone."

The boy was staring at her, eyes huge. He had been crying for some time and his body bore the red marks of many healing wounds. He did not react even when Trinity pulled the last of the straps free and started removing the other tubes. He did sigh a little as Trinity started easing him with careful energy.

"Can you speak?" Nyx asked softly.

"Tenno." The boy managed after a moment. Nyx nodded as Trinity worked. "Are you here to kill or castrate me?" Stephen recoiled and he saw Frost do the same.

"No." Nyx replied in a calm voice. "We do not kill humans unless they are infected with the Technocyte Virus or they attack us. You are not infected nor have you attacked us, so you are safe in that regard. As for castration? We have never done that. Why are you here?"

"I won a contest." The boy's eyes lidded as Trinity worked her magic, his voice slurring. "Won a full paid vacation. Went to sleep on the train. Woke up here."

"You can sleep now, boy." Nyx promised. "You are safe."

"I will never be safe again." The boy said weakly. "He was going to… I was..." He was crying and Stephen stepped forward, taking the boy's right hand in both of his own.

"You will be safe, boy." Stephen promised. "What is your name?" The boy rattled off a series of numbers and his eyes shot open.

"That is not my name!" The boy said weakly. "I cannot remember my name." Stephen looked at Trinity who slowly shook her head. She moved to examine other sleeping children, her posture resigned.

"Well, you are safe." Stephen promised. "We will not let anyone harm you." He paused as Nyx laid a hand on the boy's forehead and the boy was instantly asleep. "Nyx?"

"The boy's memory has been tampered with." Nyx said heavily. "Some of the chemical markers that make up memory in humans have been erased or altered. I am surprised her remembers anything with the mess I sense in his mind."

"He has been here less than a day." Trinity said with a growl from where she was examining a still form in another bed. "None of these kids are over ten and several are missing internal organs. Someone has been using these kids as an organ farm."

" _Someone_? Stephen said tightly as he stroked the sleeping boy's hand. "Who _else_ could it be?"

"We don't know." Trinity said sternly. "We cannot go to the Empress with what we have. It could be one of his underlings. Unlikely, but she won't want to act without overwhelming evidence."

"Um, Trinity, Nyx, Stephen?" Frost's voice was hushed as he spoke from another threshold. "You will want to see this."

Stephen didn't want to leave the stricken boy's bedside, but Nyx beckoned and he did, laying the sleeping boy's hand down gently. Nyx laid a hand on his arm as he walked, he nodded to her, grateful for her support. The girls were all the same, the boys were different. If they had been taken, why? That made no sense of someone had cloning technology. The trio of Tenno moved to stand by Frost and peered into the room beyond the golden helmed warframe. What Stephen saw made no sense to him, but both Trinity and Nyx hissed. Stephen just stared.

The room was a shrine of some kind. Against both walls, green tanks stood, one with a familiar faced girl floating in it. Debra. Stephen felt this stomach lurch as he realized the girl was _dissolving_! He started forward, but Trinity shook her head.

"We are too late." Trinity said softly. "Even if we break the tank and pull her out, she is dead already. I know this tech. Ours is different, but the basics are the same. Cloning takes one and makes two. Ours takes cells and makes duplicates, this..." She gagged. " _This_ takes _bodies_ and makes _copies_. I pray she was asleep when she went in, but seeing this? I doubt it."

"What _is_ this?" Stephen asked, staring at the flags all around the room. Most of them seemed to be the same basic pattern. Red and white stripes with a solid blue rectangle in the upper left corner. Some had white stars in that rectangle, others had images that he couldn't define. Pictures of humans dotted the walls in between the flags, interspersed with things that looked sort of like weapons. All looked old and many broken.

"It is a shrine to the United States." Frost said heavily. "I have seen similar things from historical records in other countries. China, Russia, Germany, Japan..." He took a deep breath. "Nationalism in all its horror and glory."

"Grant." Nyx said slowly as she looked the pictures. "Ford. Eisenhower. Hoover. Taft. Both Bushes. Reagan." She was shaking her head as she went around the room. "All Presidents. All Republican, but that is the only similarity. Frost?" She asked as the golden hooped helmet bowed over something.

"You need to see this." Frost said and the other three converged on him. Stephen stared at a tiny table that had a picture shrouded in black cloth. It showed an old human and bore an inscription. 'The United States will never fall'. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Yeah." Nyx said sourly. "McCain." Stephen looked at her and she sighed. "Senator John McCain was a US politician and a particularly persistent thorn in our sides. He was one of the most persistent in trying to find ways to use the Technocyte Virus as a weapon and/or subvert us for his own uses. We know for a fact that he funded over thirty black ops teams trying to acquire samples of the virus as well as labs researching it. Talia took what evidence we could find and tried to have him prosecuted by the world court, but the man was devilishly clever at shifting blame. We have no proof, but both Hayden and I believe he was one of the supporters of the Agency that sent both Mezner and Hayden into Lasria."

" _Why_?" Stephen demanded. "The virus is a horror. It is almost unstoppable."

"That is why." Nyx said heavily. "It is the ultimate weapon. Lasria was an enemy country and he was _all_ about destroying enemies, no matter who or where they might be. The virus was a weapon to him, no more. The fact that it might have obliterated _humanity_ if Hayden hadn't stopped Mezner was immaterial."

"You say 'was'." Stephen said slowly.

"He died thirty years ago." Nyx replied, looking around. Then she stiffened. "Trinity?" Trinity was gone! A door was open against one wall and all three of the others moved to it to find Trinity staring at a bank of machinery in a small room. A bed sat in the middle of it, but nothing else. It looked odd to Stephen until he realized it had a lift attached to it. For lifting someone out of a chair? "Trinity?"

"This is all medical in nature." Trinity said in a monotone. "This is, um..." She swallowed hard. "Organ replacement, blood filtering, various scanners." She shook her head. "We wondered how he survived for so long. He used the _kids' organs_!"

"That explains the boys." Nyx said slowly. "The girls?"

"There are substances that young bodies produce that no others do." Trinity said heavily. "STEM cells in particular. Girls produce more of certain things than boys. So yes, they are being farmed as well." Stephen saw another door and moved towards it, but Trinity blocked him. "Don't! You do not _want_ to see what is behind that door! I don't, but I just saw it through the cameras. None in there have minds anymore. They exist only to bear young for him to harvest."

"How many?" Nyx asked in a strained voice.

"Four." Trinity's voice was breaking a swell. Frost and Stephen looked at one another and without thought, Stephen took Trinity in his arms. She was crying softly now. "Evil. _Evil_ man!"

"That doesn't make sense!" Stephen said savagely. "They are kids! Kids cannot bear young."

"Not to term, no." Trinity said savagely as she stormed forward and slammed a fist into a piece of machinery. Stephen felt his guts clench again as he saw a tube shift and something small and deformed looking float into view. "Don't need _viable offspring_ to harvest stem cells. _BASTARD!_ " She screamed the last and drew her flamethrower.

"Trinity!" Nyx said sternly. "We cannot destroy this. Not yet. We need the evidence."

" _I CANNOT LET THIS STAND, NYX!_ " Trinity shouted as she leveled her flamethrower. She paused as Stephen stepped forward and hugged her again. "Stephen, no… I..."

"We need to _stop_ him, Trinity." Stephen said softly. "And if we _kill_ him, we will probably make things worse. When that is done, I don't think anyone will mind you burning this foul place to ash. Hell, I know Nyx, Frost and I will _help!_ "

"We need to talk to Talia. Now." Frost said with a grunt as he showed them a small book that had metal bindings.

"I know who we are dealing with."

* * *

Ten minutes later

"How the hell could he have kept it quiet?" Stephen asked. "How many kids vanished into that horrible place?"

"Children disappeared every day in the US when I was a child, Stephen." Nyx was cold as ice now. Trinity was still crying softly and Stephen sat beside her in the transport that they had led him to. It wasn't like any craft he had ever been in, but it was fast and quiet. He appreciated both of those. "Things got worse with all the violence."

The transport slowed and stopped. The four warframe stepped off of it and started for a building in the distance. The large gray building seemed odd to Stephen until he realized it had five sides. Five floors shown above ground and who knew how many below. It looked battered and broken though, not kept up well at all.

"The Pentagon. This is neutral ground." Nyx said when Stephen looked at her. "The government claims this area, but so do the insurgents. Gangs infested it. We could secure it for the negotiations, so we did." Stephen stared at her in horror, but she shook her head. "We scared the gangs away, nothing more."

"More guards?" Stephen asked as he saw more of the heavily armored humans who had guarded the Embassy.

"There are a lot of people who want the wars to stop." Nyx nodded to the guards who nodded back. "Colonel Dax is leading a contingent of Swiss Guards who were seconded to Talia by the Pope." She spoke to the guards. "Where is Talia? We have information she needs."

"She is in the secure room." The guard replied and then winced just a little. "She is not happy."

"She is going to be _less_ happy in a few minutes." Trinity said with a growl. "Where is his royal arse-ness?" The guard stared at her and she shook her head. "This is going to be very bad. Tell me you have swept the building again?"

"Last sweep was less than ten minutes ago when Frost called to update us." The guard reassured her. "Vauban and Loki assisted."

"Okay, good." Trinity squared her shoulders and started forward. Both guard looked at Stephen who paused. Trinity shook her head. "He is with us. He was altered against his will, but he chose his path and it lies with us. We take responsibility." Both guard nodded to Stephen who nodded back.

The quartet of warframes entered the building and its ambiance seemed to oppress. Stephen worked to stay with the others as they walked fast enough to make the few people who were in the corridors dance out of their way.

"It is about fucking time!" An angry male voice heralded the quartet entering a brightly lit room. Stephen looked and a human sat in a wheelchair, surrounded by guards dressed as Agent Karens had been before Mezner took her. "What have you to say for yourselves? Is the White House secure?" He demanded.

Nyx and Trinity ignored him. Frost likewise, so Stephen did as they did. The man's face purpled, but before he could speak again, another voice spoke up. Stephen's gaze was pulled the other end of the room where a woman in a golden gown stood surrounded by warframes. Her face was serene but her eyes were flashing. The crown on her head was glowing as well.

"They do not answer to you." Talia said calmly. "They offered their aid freely as they are wont to do when facing their true enemy. They do not owe you allegiance anymore than they owe me such. Do not presume to dictate to Tenno. It tend to piss them off." She turned to Nyx and Trinity as the pair paused in front of her. Frost and Stephen stayed a step behind them. "Trinity? Nyx? What happened?"

"The outbreak is contained, Empress Talia." Nyx said quietly. "There is residue to clean up, but no minds left to run amok." The arrogant human started to speak, but Nyx cut him off. "We did discover some things that bother us greatly. We are not human. We cannot act against humans until and unless they attempt to use the virus or attack us." She held out the book to Talia. "This makes for interesting reading."

"Where did you get that?" The man demanded. "What is that?"

"Keeping a diary is not always good idea, sir." Nyx said quietly. "Even if one wants to remember one's triumphs, it is rarely a good idea to keep such things in a laboratory of horrors such as you did."

"You thieving-"

The odd weapon he produced had been expected. Every Tenno moved to shield Talia. But when he fired it, Stephen felt every synapse suddenly start to burn. He heard screams of pain from every Tenno in the room. Stephen was trying to move, trying to block the man's aim as he produced another weapon and aimed at _Talia_.

" _DIE YOU ALIEN LOVING FREAK!_ " The man screamed.

The roar of his weapon was loud.


	20. Chapter 20

**Challenges**

Stephen fought past the paralysis that held him and moved even as the guards all around them started to react. The man in the hair was bringing his weapon down from the recoil when Stephen swept in, his blade part of himself. The man screamed as his hand and his pistol went flying. Then he froze as he edge of Stephen's blade caressed his neck. There was no blood from the stump of his hand. Some kind of prosthetic?

"Get away from me, you monster!" The man in the chair snapped. "Guards!" But Stephen could see the guards around he chair were being disarmed roughly by the armored humans and a couple of other Tenno who had recovered. Hayden in particular was rather annoyed.

" _You_ call _me_ a monster." Stephen said slowly. "That is funny. _Hilarious_ even. If you have killed the Empress, your death may take _weeks_."

"He didn't." Talia's voice was subdued but Stephen did not take his eyes from the man in the chair. "He didn't hit me."

"Thank god." Stephen said softly. Guards moved close and he retreated a step, still with his eyes on the human in the chair. They started searching him, ignoring his cries and Stephen turned back to the Empress, only to freeze as he saw her kneeling beside a still form on the ground. Almira's face was frozen in a rictus of agony and blood coated the front of her jumpsuit. "Almira?" Stephen said weakly. "No."

"She shoved me aside." Talia was just as shocked. "You were all stunned. She wasn't. She took the bullet. I heard her scream in my mind and now? Nothing. I cannot sense her now."

"She wasn't in a warframe." Hayden said softly. "She wasn't affected the same. Brave kid."

Stephen went to his knees beside the Empress, taking Almira's still hands in his own, but like the Empress said, there was nothing. He looked up at Trinity beseeching, but she shook her head.

"Whatever bullet he used was designed to kill someone someone like us. Someone who was hard to kill. If it had hit Talia, it _would_ have killed her." Trinity slumped. "Almira's energy was disrupted beyond the point of recovery." Mag went to her knees beside Stephen and took his hands in her own.

"She will be remembered." Mag promised. "She succeeded, Stephen. She did. Talia is alive." Stephen felt his world suddenly go cold and hard. He heard Mag gasp as he rose to his feet, his sword coming to his hands as he spun to face the man who killed his friend and teacher. The old human glared at him from his chair even surrounded by guards aiming weapons at him. "Stephen! No!"

"No, Tenno." Talia was suddenly in front of him, her hands up in a warding gesture. "Not like this. He doesn't _deserve_ a _clean_ death by Tenno steel." She slowly and carefully pushed his hands down until the point of his sword was aimed at the floor. "He will be punished, Tenno."

"Part of me burns to strike him down." Stephen felt strange. Detached. "It won't bring Almira or the kids he has killed back."

"No." Talia admitted. "No, it won't."

"None of you have the guts!" The man in the chair snapped. "None of you have the _strength_ -"

The guards dove out of the way as Stephen stepped around Talia and his blade lashed out. But instead of striking with the edge or point, the _flat_ of the blade slapped the man on the cheek!

" _You_ speak of strength, you who have slaughtered so many non-combatants on whim. You who torture children in your need to survive." Stephen said mildly as the flat of his blade slapped the man's _other_ cheek. The human stared at him, shocked. "You wouldn't know _true_ strength if it hit you upside the _head_." He slapped the top of the man's head with same flat of the blade, not enough to hurt, just enough to sting. _Everyone_ was staring at him in shock as he recovered his blade and holstered it.

He turned his back on the man. He strode to Almira's still form, scooped her up and started for the door. Some of the humans babbled. He ignored them. He felt rather than saw Mag and Frost move to flank him. Neither of them spoke.

"McCain." Stephen said as he traced his steps back towards where he had come into the building. "That was McCain?"

"I don't know." Mag admitted. She sounded subdued. "Maybe. Or maybe someone who revered the nutcase for some crazy reason. It certainly wasn't Trump since he is dead. It will take some time and a great deal of DNA scan to determine the truth, _if_ he hasn't scrambled his DNA. Frost?"

"The diary was McCain's." Frost was just as subdued. "I don't know. We know McCain was sneaky enough for three men. We may never know if this was him or not. If he was truly prepared to do the level of horror we saw in the White House, then he could do anything, even alter his own DNA. The President for Life doesn't _look_ anything like Senator McCain, but cosmetic surgery is nothing new. I just skimmed the book, I didn't have time to peruse it closely."

"Yeah." Stephen said sadly as he looked at Almira's still form. "We won, Almira. Talia is alive. We did it." He shook his head. "This doesn't feel like a victory."

"No." Mag agreed. "It doesn't."

Then it happened. Between one step and another, the body in Stephen's arms vanished. He stopped in mid-stride, staring at his empty hands. Then he was running. He felt Mag and Frost keeping up with him, but he ignored them. He ran out of the building, ignoring the calls from the guards behind him. He passed a sign marked 'Rotary' and then up onto another road. This one was damaged from war and neglect and he had to dodge craters and potholes as he kept running. He wasn't winded at all. He felt like he could run forever. He took a left, then a right, then a left. He had no idea where he was going, but suddenly, he was surrounded by silence. He jerked to a halt, aware of Frost and Mag pacing him. But he felt odd as he stared out across a large expanse filled with small white stone markers. A cemetery. A huge cemetery.

"Arlington National Cemetery." Mag said quietly as Stephen stared around, awed by the sheer size.

He would have asked her about that, but then his attention was pulled to a concrete expanse ahead by an odd clicking. He jerked as he saw a lone human striding across the expanse. The woman wore a full uniform that looked odd. Her heels were clicking on the pavement. Mag moved up closer to Stephen and spoke softly.

"She is a member of 'The Old Guard'. Third Infantry Regiment, US Army." Mag said quietly.

"What is she doing?" Stephen asked, confused. The woman was marching back and forth in front of a large stone something or other. He couldn't quite make it out. It was white, large and rectangular.

"Guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier." Mag was quiet, reflective. "A duty which units of her service have done since 1937." Stephen stared at her and Mag nodded. "Yeah, over a hundred years." She shook her head. "Much as I denigrate the Army at times, most of them _do_ understand tradition and honor. Rain or shine, they post. Even at the worst of times, the Old Guard has stood up here. They marched in gas masks at times, but they marched."

"I..." Stephen felt his world lurch and then he was kneeling as tears fell that no one would ever see inside his helmet.

"Go ahead and grieve for your friend, brother." Frost said quietly. "No one will see you but us. No one will judge you."

"I thought..." Stephen said through his tears. "She was strong! I am not!" Two very different hands found his shoulders. "Why did it have to be _her_?" He demanded, anger rising.

"I don't have an answer for you, Stephen." Mag said sadly. "I think she would be happy that she succeeded. She knew she wasn't going to survive if you succeeded. You know this."

"No, I _don't_ know that, Mag." Stephen said sharper than he intended. He slumped a bit. "I am sorry. I just… She was special. And no one will ever know."

"We will." Frost promised. "We will never forget."

"You can't promise that, Frost." Stephen said with a grunt, only to pause as something changed in front of him. Two more figures in the same uniform walked out onto the concrete expanse. What were they doing? He looked at Mag who nodded.

"The Changing of the Guard." Mag actually sounded awed. "Every day since _1948_ when they took over the duty from other units. Either every hour on the hour or every two hours. Rain or shine, snow or _chemical attack_ , they march." Stephen stared, incredulous as the three humans did an intricate drill. Their weapons looked archaic, but functional.

"Wow." Stephen managed.

"I cannot say we will remember forever." Mag said softly. "But Talia has a long memory and all kinds of ways to hold information. She will not forget, nor her descendants."

"Tenno." All three of the Tenno jerked upright as a strong voice spoke to them. One of the guards was striding back on the path the previous guard had taken and the female guards stood by the other who looked to be in charge. The one with the most ribbons on his shoulder spoke again. "What do you seek here?"

His words might have been sharp, but they were not accusatory. More curious. Mag took a step forward, but Stephen spoke up.

"Solace." Stephen said quietly. Both of the guards stared a him. "I seek solace. My sister just died performing her duty and I was lost in grief." He shook his head. "I did not mean to disrupt _your_ duty. I apologize if I have."

"Duty can be hard." The man said quietly. Stephen nodded. "We know that better than many."

"I honor your devotion to your own duty." Stephen bowed to the man who stared at him. "I will leave you to it."

"A question." The man said as Stephen turned away. "The Empress was here to negotiate. Are the talks still going?"

"They are." Mag said quietly. "I do not trust politicians, but the Empress is hopeful."

"Of course not." The man had a smile in his voice even if it didn't show on his face. "Even Marines are not that crazy."

He nodded to her as Mag sputtered a little, then he turned and walked away, the female guard at his side, their heels clicking in unison.

"I feel lost." Stephen said weakly. "I did what was needed. What do I do now?"

He had bare seconds to realize that something was amiss and that simply wasn't enough time for his shocked and shaken mind to react to the white hole that appeared in the pavement underneath him. Mag's cry of alarm faded as Stephen fell.

He saw flashes. Stars appeared, grew and then vanished as she fell by them. Worlds spun out of cosmic dust, life grew on them, flourished and then faded. He flew into a golden light and was suddenly falling slower.

" _Idiot_ Grineer!" A sour male voice snapped from nearby. "The Orokin never screwed with that. They _knew_ better. Why the hell do _clones_ think they can?"

"Because they are better than any human, Nikis." A sad female voice sounded in reply. "They cannot grasp the concept of something that they cannot conquer. They think that if they throw enough bodies at anything, they can beat it. _Time_ doesn't care though."

"True enough."The male voice sighed. "Ah, here he is."

Stephen landed on a hard surface, rolling instinctively to his feet to stand in front of… A black Nekros warframe and a woman in white? Her face was half hidden by a white veil. His warframe felt odd, but his blade was in hand as he stared around. The room was large and looked decrepit. The walls and floor were gilded in gold, but they were battered and broken. A tree was growing up through one wall and from the look of it? It had been growing for centuries. Maybe longer.

"Hello Stephen." The woman bowed to him. "My name is Janet and this is Nikis." The black Nekros nodded to him. "I know you are very confused. You are in no danger at the moment."

"I heard you talking. You speak of Grineer." Stephen said slowly. "This is where I started?"

"Not quite." Janet said with a shake of her head. "The lab you were in was destroyed by the surge of energy that catapulted you through time and space. We are on a derelict Orokin ship that crashed into the asteroid millennia ago. The Grineer built their base on that asteroid both to plunder the ship and to hide from many peoples' sight."

"I..." Stephen shook his head. "I have traveled in time again?" He asked a little plaintively.

"Yes." Compassion sounded in Janet's tone. "This should be the last time. All of what was done has been undone. You are very brave, do you know that?"

"I am very _scared_." Stephen scoffed.

"Join the club." The Nekros replied. "Fear does not make us lesser. It is a survival instinct, nothing more. You did what you set out to do. You repaired the timeline."

"I _what?_ " Stephen demanded, sheathing his blade. He had the feeling that he had no chance against either of these beings. He knelt into seiza as Almira had taught him. His hands shook as he placed them properly.

"The Grineer tried to toy with time." Janet said quietly. "They failed, but only because their chosen tool turned in their hand." Stephen stared at her, even more confused and she nodded. "They tried to warp you into a tool to alter the timeline. What they didn't realize was that doing so would create a loop of energy that had the potential to wipe out _everything_."

"Everything in this solar system?" Stephen asked, fear rising.

"Everything in _existence_." Janet correct him grimly. Stephen slumped a bit, but Janet smiled. "You undid what they tried to do."

"What did they do?" Stephen asked. "Oh, wait. That cloning tech!"

"Yeah." Nikis nodded. "No one knew where it came from. It just appeared one day in that madman's lair and he decided to use it." Stephen looked at him and Nikis chuckled. There was precious little mirth in it. "Did you _really_ think we would forget?"

"I thought I was in an alternate reality." Stephen said weakly.

"An alternate _timeline_." Janet corrected him gently this time. "A timeline created when the Grineer tried to stop Orokin from rising." She shook her head. "Not that they could have predicted what would happen from their meddling. _Hayden Tenno_ as _Emperor_?" She shuddered dramatically and Nikis shared it.

"You saw." Stephen stared from her to Nikis and back. Both nodded. "Then… Is it over?"

"Yes. Orokin rose, although it took a couple hundred more years to finally end the violence. The Grineer know better than to try that again." Nikis growled. "The wardens are not happy with them at the moment." Stephen looked at the floor. "Yeah." Nikis sounded old and tired now. "That leaves you as the only loose end."

"Do what you must, Tenno." Stephen said sadly. "I am so tired. I did what was needed."

"Do you have _any_ idea what Mag would do to me if I hurt you?" Nikis asked sourly. "Let alone _Frost_?" Stephen's head jerked up and Nikis nodded. "We ain't got a lot of leeway in such situations, but we _do_ have _some_."

"I am tired, Tenno." Stephen said weakly. "So very tired."

"I know." Janet sounded close to tears as she reached for him. Her hands were glowing green as they took hold of him and warm energy swept him up and held him gently.

"But you are needed."

* * *

Stephen was jolted into awareness as he landed on a hard surface. His memory was there, but oddly patchy. He heard guttural voices. Sounds he understood somehow. He couldn't move! Gunfire erupted around him and he slammed his fist into the ground, trying to get his equilibrium back. It was coming, but slow as he herd shouts, screams and more gunfire. He looked up to see a horde of armored forms engaging three dark blurs. The Ash was moving and striking as only a stealth oriented assassin could. The Nyx was holding her own, her bow singing a dirge of death and the Frost…

Stephen jerked to his feet in time to catch the sword that the Frost had thrown him. Instinct took over and he spun in time to shatter the two glowing golden balls that had been flying towards him. The being in front of him was an abomination of twisted flesh and metal. It wasn't alone, at least a dozen similar forms flanked it. Too many for a straight fight. But Stephen had power now that his warframe had absorbed from the fallen forms. His sword went to the floor, point down and golden swords lanced out from him tot strike every misshapen form. The large one in the middle shielded itself somehow.

The abomination raised a golden key that Stephen sort of recognized and a beam of energy lanced from it. Again, instinct saved him. His sword shed the beam like water and while he held the enemy's attention, the other Tenno acted. In moments, Stephen and the other three were the only standing things in the area and the abomination had been cut in half.

"Come, brother." The Frost said quietly. "We must quit this place."

"What is going on?" Stephen asked as he sheathed his blade. It felt both right and wrong to his senses. He would figure out why later. Right now? He started off with the others.

"We didn't expect to find a brother in cryo here." The Nyx sounded concerned. "Let alone one being attacked by Vor. Are you all right?"

"You did not answer my question." Stephen said sourly.

"Humanity is in grave danger." The Ash said softly. "Degenerate clones and Technocyte Infestation threaten everything in the solar system. The Tenno are needed once more."

"A challenge then?" Stephen asked. The other three nodded. "Good. I _like_ challenges."

"Wouldn't be much of a Tenno if you didn't." The Nyx said with a laugh that the others shared.

Stephen ran with his kin towards his future.

None of the four noticed a nondescript human and a woman in white that hid in a shadow by one wall of the ancient crypt. The two mismatched beings shared a smile and vanished.


End file.
